Let Him In
by God of Insanity
Summary: Isolated from his friends for nearly a decade after METEOR, Cloud is summoned to join forces with the most unlikely of people to save the planet from Jenova's legacy.  YAOI Top!Cloud/Bottom!Sephiroth
1. Prologue

**Let Him In**

Summary: Isolated from his friends for nearly a decade after METEOR, Cloud is summoned to join forces with the most unlikely of people to save the planet from Jenova's legacy. YAOI Top!Cloud/Bottom!Sephiroth

Story Warning(s): M/M, Yaoi, Slight A/U, Pre-Advent Children, Anal, Oral, Uke Sephiroth, Death, Angst, Violence, Language, and other warnings apply.

Chapter warning(s): Slight Language, slight angst

Pairing(s): Top!Cloud/Bottom!Sephiroth

Disclaimer(s)-I do not own Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 or its characters. Nor do I own the Morrissey's passage, either. I just had an itch to write this, so I did.

_**A/N: I had an itch. An itch that's kept itching for at least a year. It just kept itching, so one day I decided to finally write it in spite of my other pending fictions. I am by no means a huge FF7 fan nor have I played the games, but I know the story and I like some of the characters…namely Sephiroth, Zack, Cloud, and Vincent. I am no expert so there may be mistakes. Feel free to point anything out, though, and all comments and criticisms are welcome as long as they are constructive.**_

_**This will be slightly Alternate-Universe, which means some things will be changed to serve the plot. Also, Advent Children hasn't happened yet and it won't exactly happen the way it did in the movie. Anywho, I hope you enjoy it.**_

**Special thanks to Lady Vectress for pointing out that mistake. It's fixed now. Thank you. :)**__

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><p>"Let the right one in<br>Let the old dreams die  
>Let the wrong ones go<br>They cannot do  
>What you want them to do."<p>

Morrissey [Let the Right One Slip In]

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><p>Prologue <p>

Wiping the sweat from his brow with his bare forearm, the blond-haired man sighed and wearily stood up from his spot perched on the fence. He gingerly pulled off his gloves one at a time and tossed them onto the ground. Wincing at the sting of salt in his eyes, he rubbed the sweat away with his fingers and grumbled to himself since that did nothing but make it worse.

A passerby would have remarked that he resembled a bird sitting on the fence like that with his rigid posture and spiky blond hair. However, the stranger would not have uttered a word due to the dark look on the young man's pale face.

Looking toward the horizon, Cloud watched the sun descend until it was hidden behind some mountains. The sky was a beautiful assortment of reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks, but he did not give notice to it. Instead, he hopped down from the fence and glanced at it as if looking for specific flaws. Deciding that the patch up job was good enough to hold up for now, he hunched down to snatch his gloves. He then tucked them so that they hung out of the back of his pants.

On the other side of the fence, most of the Chocobos were already fast asleep. All but one. A young and troublesome silver Chicobo with bright blue eyes. It cocked its head to the side as it stared unblinkingly at Cloud. Then its large eyes gawked at the fence before returning to the man again. Ruffling its feathers, the Chicobo strutted forward and stopped near the fence. Looking back at the repaired fence again, it raised one of its large legs and kicked the fence with its clawed foot. Again and again and again…

"Stop that," quietly snapped the blond in weary exasperation. He stepped closer to the fence and glared coldly at the miscreant bird. There were times when he was tempted to just cook the damn bird and eat it for dinner. Maybe if he actually did get rid of this bird then he wouldn't have to spend so much time fixing the fence. Yes, that sounded like a plausible solution to the problem known as the juvenile menace with silver feathers.

As if reading the blond's shady thoughts, the Chicobo uttered a string of foul squawks that sounded suspiciously like it could be the equivalent of cursing for Chocobos. For a split moment, Cloud was reminded of Cid Highwind. Shaking his head at the memory of the pilot, he forcibly dismissed any further thoughts of Cid or anyone else from his mind. It worked for him, or at least, he thought it did.

Cloud lived alone on a ranch that he had built himself. He had built the house, the fence, and pretty much everything else. He lived roughly in the Grasslands area and the closest town was about 100 miles away or so and it was pretty small and insignificant. It was one of those towns that weren't even located on the map.

In spite of his inconspicuous location, Cloud made a pretty decent living. He raised his own Chocobos and ran his own private, yet local delivery service. No one bothered him and he didn't bother anyone. Well, except for the sporadic calls to his PHS. He never answered them, of course. He didn't have the heart to and didn't even know what to say. He had _nothing_ to say.

Vincent was the only one who knew where Cloud was. Everyone else was clueless and no doubt worried about him, but there wasn't much they could do but believe the gunman's assurances that Cloud was all right. Despite Tifa's protests, the ex-TURK, mostly out of respect, wouldn't go back on his word to the blond.

Ten years had passed after the defeat of METEOR and everyone had pretty much gone their own separate ways. Every once in awhile, most of the old members of AVALANCHE would meet at Seventh Heaven just for old time's sake. Sometimes Vincent would show up, but even that was rare occurrence in itself and he would barely utter two words to anyone the entire time. The get-together's were common at first, but as the years passed, they became less frequent with time until it dwindled down to only once a year.

In all those years, Cloud never showed up. Not even once.

It was kind of ironic, actually. In his younger years, Cloud had yearned to be surrounded by friends and to prove himself worthy of something, of anything. Of SOLDIER. In Nibelheim, he had felt alone and cut off from the world due to the town being small and the amount of bullying at his expense. He had wanted to fight back and show everyone that he was not a weakling, not a _failure_. He had wanted to prove himself.

But now…he found that he wanted nothing more than to _forget_ it all. Just make it go away and move on. Only, what he was doing wasn't exactly moving on even though in his own mind he tried to convince himself that it was.

"_Cloud_…"

Flinching, Cloud was startled out of his reverie by a voice that sounded like it had whispered inside his head and outside it. It sounded like it was all around him. Shaking his head and deeming it as some delusion, the blond turned his head just in time to see a whirl of silver.

He felt his heart freeze in his chest and he felt frozen as he watched the silver form fly at him. In his dusty, barely visited memory, he saw gorgeous, yet crazed vivid green eyes mocking him. _Daring_ him.

It wasn't until a few mere seconds before a clawed foot connected with his head that he realized it was not _Him _but that bloody juvenile avian. The Chicobo had somehow escaped his pen and had attacked the distracted blond.

Knocked onto his back with a loud _thud!_ Cloud saw nothing but a bright light that seemed to protectively encompass him. He felt no pain of any kind as he sat up and glanced around in disorientation. He could see nothing since the light had hopefully _only_ temporarily blinded him.

Then he heard it again. The voice.

"_Cloud…"_

Whatever that light was, it seemed to dim down enough until he saw the silhouettes of two people. They were approaching him and it wasn't until they were a few feet away that he could clearly see them. His blue eyes widened until they were as big and innocent as they had once been when he had been an adolescent.

"You're…_you're_…"

A tall figure in black knelt down on the ground before the blond. A strong hand touched Cloud's face in the manner that a close friend would do. A handsome, pale face with vivid green eyes framed by long silver hair gazed down at him with unfettered compassion. There was even a small, kind smile on that face.

"I have missed you, _Cloud_."

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><p><strong><strong>

**To Be Continued**


	2. CH01: Resurrection

**Let Him In**

Chapter warning(s): Language, Angst, Hallucinations, Naked Sephiroth

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><p>"<em>The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.<em>_"_-Marcus Tullius Cicero

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><p>CH01: Resurrection<p>

Cloud was stunned. He was too shocked and at a loss for words to even speak. The usual feeling of hate and despair associated with this man failed to make its appearance.

**Sephiroth** was kneeling in front of him and _touching_ him. And smiling like a friendly loon.

He should be angry, but he wasn't. He should slap away the madman's hand, but he didn't. He just sat there and gaped at the bigger man until a flash of red in his peripheral vision caught his attention.

It was then that the second person strode into the blond's full view. He was a familiar looking redhead clad in red and black leather. In his right hand he lovingly cradled a book called LOVELESS. Unlike Sephiroth, he did not kneel. Instead, he looked down at the blond with a smile that seemed to mirror Sephiroth's in the way of friendliness. Something about his smile was uncharacteristic for him, too. It seemed so familiar, though.

Sephiroth _and_ Genesis…? Weren't they supposed to be dead? Did that mean that he was dead, too? Were they all in the _Lifestream_ now? That seemed like such a contradiction to him and it made absolutely no sense. Aha! He got it now. He was _dreaming! _He must be dreaming. There was no way that this could possibly be real. But why would he dream of such a thing? Especially when all his dreams were usually horrific nightmares that woke him up in cold sweats…

"It's been a long time, _Spike_," warmly spoke Genesis, whose gentle words interrupted Cloud from his barrage of diverging thoughts.

Cloud finally found his voice so he hissed, "Don't touch me!" before he shoved Sephiroth's hand away. Next he stumbled up onto his feet and then backed away while taking his old defensive stance. His hand impulsively reached towards his back but it was met only by air. _First_ _Tsurugi_ wasn't there.

Sephiroth frowned and slowly rose up to his full towering height. He glanced at Genesis as if waiting for an answer from a silent question. He didn't say anything. The green-eyed man just stood there looking so innocent, so pure, and so good.

The redhead rose his hands up in a passive, non-threatening way to placate Cloud as he said urgently, "Calm down, Spikey!"

"Why do you keep calling me _that_? What's going on and why is _He_ here?" Cloud questioned hotly with a jerk of his chin at the silver-haired Ex-General while he kept his gaze coolly trained on Genesis. His blue eyes hardened as all the negative feelings slammed into him like a rampaging beast.

Genesis looked genuinely stupefied for a few moments as if he himself did not know the answers. He seemed to figure something out, though. The red-haired man approached Cloud and laid a reassuring hand on the blond's shoulder. "Who do you think I am? And who do you think…_He_ is?"

"Is this supposed to be a joke? You're Genesis and he's…_Sephiroth_," spat Cloud as he shot a less than friendly look at the ex-General. Normally he would have shaken off Genesis' hand, but this time around he did not. There was something familiar about it and he couldn't place what it was.

The redhead laughed and then slapped Cloud on the back. "Oh, Spikey…"

Sephiroth seemed relieved then, but not at all surprised. He smiled and nodded to Genesis as if encouraging him to do or say something specific.

Genesis laid a comforting hand on Cloud's shoulder and explained, "You're hallucinating, Spike. I'm not Genesis and _she_ is definitely not Sephiroth."

Cloud blinked. He blinked again and then slowly turned his head to look at Sephiroth to find that the insane man had vanished. In his stead stood someone he had not seen in longer than he could fathom.

_Aerith_.

The blond man looked back to Genesis only to find _Zack_ standing there with his hand still resting on his shoulder. He didn't know what to say. Old feelings resurfaced in such a powerful way that he felt himself stumble back from the sheer force of it. Zack's other hand had swiftly reached out in time to catch him, which prevented him from falling on his ass.

Zack smiled and his hands dropped from Cloud's shoulders. "It's ok, Spike. You're not hallucinating now. It's not a dream. It's real…well, real enough. We're still dead, but this is really us. You're not crazy."

The Cetra walked over to her blond friend and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. In a patient voice, she urged, "Cloud, we don't have much time with you."

"Why? What's going on?" Asked Cloud as he glanced between them with a puzzled look. All negative feelings had been wiped clean of him. He was no longer angry or hateful. A familiar warmth spread over him to the point that he felt giddy and light. He felt…_happy_.

The dark-haired Ex-SOLDIER looked solemn now as the smile died on his face; however, there was a certain determined gleam in his blue eyes that Cloud had missed seeing. "The planet needs your help again, Spikey."

"Sephiroth isn't dead?"

"Uh, well, not exactly. Right now he's neither dead nor alive. He's in-between both. I guess you could say he's in limbo?"

"Sephiroth isn't the problem, Cloud," Aerith started and then paused to let Cloud absorb that statement. She knew he would object as soon as the words had come out of your mouth.

Fueled by anger and confusion, Cloud instantly protested, "You're kidding, right? Last time I checked he-"

"-I know, Spike, I know. He destroyed Nibelheim and killed a lot of people. He went mad. He was Jenova's puppet. We know. But that doesn't change the fact that, well, Aerith, _you_ explain it," interrupted Zack, who in turn looked to the Cetra woman and waited for her to speak.

Aerith smiled gently and regarded Cloud with her soft, kind eyes. "To save the planet from destruction, we need you…_and_ Sephiroth. You can't do it alone and your comrades are not enough, I'm afraid."

"I don't understand," deadpanned Cloud. And he didn't. He didn't understand why they needed a homicidal lunatic's help.

Zack sighed, "You need to get to Sephiroth before _they_ do, Spikey. If you don't, it will be too late."

"So I'm supposed to find him and then do what? Hide his body? Shoot him off into space? Dump him in another reactor?" Inquired Cloud humorlessly.

It was Aerith's turn to sigh. "Cloud…I know you are still angry. You still hurt and you haven't forgiven anyone, least of all yourself. You need to look past it all and put it in the past. The future is what matters now and if you don't get over the past then there will be no future for you or anyone else."

"What exactly are you saying?" The blond asked slowly as if he wasn't certain he wanted to hear the answer.

Aerith loosely clasped her hands together as she enlightened, "You need to forgive Sephiroth and forgive yourself. We need him, you need him, and the world needs him. Believe me when I tell you that it will work out for the best. I believe in you, Cloud. We both do. You won't fail."

The blond shook his head vigorously. "I…can't. It's been a decade and I still can't. He still haunts me, and it all still haunts me. I can't just let it all go like _that_."

"Spike, she's right. It may seem impossible now, but it is for the best. It's the only way."

"How can you both say that? Aerith, he killed you in cold blood and he nearly killed you, Zack. I can't forgive him for that."

"I have already forgiven him, Cloud," divulged the Cetra woman in a calm sort of voice. Even though she was worried about the welfare of the planet, she looked to be at peace.

Zack nodded and replied placidly, "So have I."

"He's a **monster**."

The dark-haired man sighed again and smiled wryly. "He was my best friend, Cloud. I was his friend. Angeal and Genesis were also his friends. He didn't have a lot of friends, but he was ok with that. He had the three of us…and you. It wasn't enough, though. In spite of everything he went through since birth, he was _human_. In a lot of ways, you always reminded me of Sephiroth. I considered you both my best friends."

"…" That had always been something that had troubled Cloud. He knew he was similar to Sephiroth and that was something that had always been exceedingly hard to accept. Because of their similarities, there had been times Cloud had doubted himself and feared that he, too, would descend into madness.

"The timing was bad, I think. I still believe that if Seph had met you sooner…that he would not have gone crazy like he did. If he had had you, he would have fought it. He would not have succumbed so easily to Jenova."

Cloud looked up at Zack and raised an eyebrow incredulously. He said nothing. He didn't need to, though. His eyes spoke volumes for him.

"I'm not saying what happened was your fault. It wasn't. I know you blame yourself, but you shouldn't. We don't blame you, Spike."

As if to further cement that truth, Aerith added, "I never blamed you. Not once. You came for me...that's all that matters."

"…" The blond cast his eyes down to the ground and stared at it with unfocused eyes.

"We can't tell you everything right now, Cloud. It's about time for us to go. We don't have much longer," the Cetra informed sadly.

At hearing that, Cloud ripped his eyes from the ground and stared at them both. "Wait, what am I supposed to do?"

"Find Sephiroth," answered Aerith as she moved closer to the blond. She encircled her arms around him and embraced him fully. She rested her head underneath his chin and remained motionless as she hugged him.

Like the puppy he was, Zack couldn't resist pulling them both in his arms in a tight, but painless hug. He also couldn't help ruffling Cloud's spiky locks.

The blond tolerated it for a bit, but soon enough he wriggled out of the embrace even though he truly wanted to stay like that. A million questions burned in his head and he needed them answered. "How? I don't even know where he is…"

Aerith seemingly pulled out an emerald green Materia from out of nowhere. She extended her arm for him to take it. "Take this. It will lead you to him."

Cloud gingerly took the Materia from her and held it gently in his hand. He looked at it closely as he thought in the back of his mind that the color looked too much like the color of Sephiroth's eyes. "What…am I supposed to do when I find him?"

"You'll know when the time is right, kiddo," replied Zack with a huge smile before he ruffled Cloud's hair again.

He felt irritated for a moment, but as he looked at his best friend, it all melted away. Every bad feeling was gone and was replaced by something better. Cloud smiled softly as Aerith came to stand beside Zack. She smiled back at him. There was such hope in her eyes that he felt he actually believed in her cause, well, no, _their_ cause.

Before Cloud could open his mouth to say anything, they were _gone_. He opened his eyes and suddenly felt _everything_. He was sore, tired, and lying on something hard. Not to mention his head hurt like hell from taking that blow from the Chicobo. Upon further inspection, he concluded that he was lying on the ground near the Chocobo pen.

Ah, so it was just a dream.

Cloud sighed and started to rise, but felt something solid in his hand. He looked over and saw the green Materia.

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><p>The next day, Cloud rose early even though he had barely slept the night before. The first thing he did was take a long, hot shower. As relaxing and pleasant as showers were, it was always in the shower that he couldn't put his mind on pause. After several minutes of standing still under the hot spray of water, the exhausted blond had made up his mind.<p>

He would go find Sephiroth today. It was better just to get it over with especially since Aerith and Zack had told him that there wasn't much time. It was best not to dilly dally when it came to important matters. The blond didn't really need that reason as an excuse to get off his ass since he hated sitting or standing around when there was nothing to do. He had already caught up on all his deliveries and the Chocobos had plenty of fresh food and water. They really didn't need much from him since they could maintain themselves pretty much. Still, he liked to keep himself busy. The busier he was, the less he thought of unpleasant things. That and he enjoyed putting his mind and body to work.

Before Cloud headed out, he grabbed something he had prepared and cooked the night before. It looked like chicken. And Gaia, it tasted _delicious_.

Cloud made sure that he had everything he could possibly need first before leaving his house. When he was satisfied that he wasn't forgetting anything, he walked out the front door and walked past the Chocobo pen. With a little smirk of his own, he glanced at the silver Chicobo that in turn eyed him rather suspiciously. It didn't try to attack him this time, but that was mostly due to the fact that it had a collar around its neck with a chain that was mounted to something too strong for it to pull out.

Stopping right beside his bike, Cloud closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Opening his eyes moments later, he exhaled right before he straddled _Fenrir_.Seconds later, he was speeding down the road with the cold wind whipping his short, spiky blond hair around. He liked riding best when he had nowhere to go. He could go faster and faster to wherever he pleased. The sense of freedom and power was beyond amazing.

It almost felt like flying.

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><p>For a couple of hours, the green orb didn't get any brighter as he held it in one hand. It did progressively get warmer and warmer. Cloud wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he took it as a sign that he was doing something right. He had never seen a Materia quite like this before and didn't quite know what to do with it. He had seen and handled green Materia before, but it had never looked or felt like this one. The blond trusted that when the time was right, it would tell him where to go.<p>

He knew Yuffie herself would have been all over this Materia as if it were the last one in existence. That girl loved Materia to the point of obsession, especially if it was unique. The rarer, the better.

Cloud shook his head and grasped the green Materia a bit harder. He had to focus now and thinking about his friends wouldn't do much good at all. Being distracted was stupid since it was very dangerous out here all alone without any backup. A monster or some other beast could get the drop on him if he didn't keep up his guard.

Once he had reached the Juxtan forest, the green Materia glowed a bit more brightly. Taking this as a sign, he slowed Fenrir down significantly and entered said forest. The blond did his best to zigzag through the trees without hitting anything that would damage him or the bike.

When he had swerved into another direction, the Materia dimmed down considerably. Mildly alarmed by this, Cloud quickly turned back into the other direction. The Materia brightened up again almost instantly. The brighter it got, the closer he felt he was to the correct path. Anytime it dimmed, he tried different routes until the Materia was luminous once more.

Half an hour later, he found himself driving through dense forest. He had to stop Fenrir and get off the bike. There was no way he could drive through those narrow spaces between the trees now. Not to mention all the boulders, thick jutting roots, and other land formations. He would have to walk the rest of the way on foot.

Looking regretfully at Fenrir, he was reluctant to leave the motorcycle out here by itself. Casting one more repentant look at the bike, he turned away and strode briskly in the direction the green orb was leading him to.

Wherever Sephiroth was, he felt close. Too close for comfort.

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><p>Ten minutes later by hiking up a small mountain, Cloud found the entrance to a small cave. The green Materia in his hand was glowing so brightly then that it reminded him of familiar mako green eyes.<p>

The entrance was blocked by a collapsed, dilapidated tree that was on its way to death. Touching the tree with one hand, Cloud tested its strength. When it didn't budge much, he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of First Tsurugi and drew his blade. With a precise, yet powerful blow to the tree, he stepped aside and watched as the majority of the tree fell to the ground and then rolled down the mountain.

Sheathing First Tsurugi back in its rightful place, Cloud was free now to enter the cage. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to push on. He came this far. There was no way he was going back now.

Treading slowly and carefully through a tunnel in the cave, the blond man didn't even need to light anything due to how luminous the Materia was. As he walked, his hands felt cold and clammy in his gloves. Unsure of what exactly he would find, he felt anxious. He trusted his friends, but he still couldn't quell the feeling of unease that he felt from being so close to his former enemy.

A few minutes later, Cloud entered another chamber. Unlike the cave's entrance, the chamber was unhindered by any object. Pressing on, he walked into the chamber and even though he knew what he would possibly encounter inside, he was not at all prepared for what he saw.

In the middle of the room was a gigantic green crystal that was large enough to fit two men of the ex-General's size. It was emerald green and looked very murky, yet the silhouette of a distinctly masculine body could be seen.

As if pulled by a magnet, Cloud found his booted feet leading him towards the crystal almost against his will. Gripping the Materia harder, he gasped when the light of it danced against the surface of the crystal. No longer as murky, but still difficult to see, he could easily distinguish that the man encased inside the crystal was indeed Sephiroth.

The silver-haired man's eyes were closed and his seemingly angelic face was strangely tranquil. He didn't look dead at all. He looked as if he were only sleeping.

The green orb clutched in his right hand burned so brightly that he had to squint. The Materia was so hot that he could feel the heat of it radiating _through_ his glove.

Hesitantly, Cloud reached up and brushed away some of the dust that made the crystal look so dark. He could clearly see Sephiroth's face now. Instantaneously, the feelings of sorrow, guilt, and rage filled his being and he could not stop them as they overcame his being. All it took to feel like a complete emotional wreck was just seeing the madman's serene face.

Two things then happened.

First, Cloud dropped the green Materia, which clattered to the ground and then shattered in countless pieces. Something that looked like green miasma crept up and blanketed the blond. Not only did he accidently breathe it in, the green gas seeped into his clothes and into his skin. It was like breathing water and fire at the same time without the burn and without the pain.

Too enraged and filled with blinding hot hate, the blond didn't really notice what the Materia had done to him. First Tsurugi was already in his right hand in a flash. Slipping his other hand around the hilt, he raised the blade up high over his head. Next he backed away and without hesitation, he swiftly with all the strength he could muster, stabbed the sword through the crystal as he screamed his fury.

A blinding, yet magnificent white light filled the chamber as a myriad of broken fragments of green crystal split and rocketed in random directions of the cave. The rest of the crystal prison shattered and fell to pieces near Cloud's feet.

First Tsurugi clanged soundlessly to the ground and was forgotten in a heartbeat.

The rage, the hate, and the despair were plucked away from Cloud like feathers until he was laid bare like a naked chicken. His hands dropped uselessly to his sides as the blond male watched as the very nude body of the ex-General fell indolently forward towards him. Even unconscious and between life and death, Sephiroth still fell gracefully like an angel.

Instead of backing away and letting the man hit the ground; Cloud surprised himself by catching the silver-haired male in his arms. He sank to his knees with Sephiroth clinging to him like a newborn babe. The moment Sephiroth's bare skin made contact with his, a raw sort of power surged through Cloud. It was so powerful that he would have staggered back if he hadn't had his arms around a certain unconscious madman.

Countless memories assaulted Cloud all at once. All of Sephiroth's memories, the good and the bad, coursed through him without mercy. In a mere instant, he relieved Sephiroth's entire life. He saw _everything_, heard every thought, and felt every feeling. Saw every victory and defeat, saw every cruel experiment performed on him, and saw the ex-General break completely from himself. He saw the insanity consume the man entirely to the brink that all that made sense to him was Jenova. She was kind and soothing like a mother as she reached out to him. He then saw how she had used him as a little puppet to gain the revenge that she had lusted for.

In a lot of ways, it was like reliving his own life. Zack had been right. Sephiroth hadn't been much different than him…except unlike the ex-General, Cloud had had a mother who had loved him. Sephiroth never had love. All he had been given was pain, power, and pride.

It was surprising to find out how human Sephiroth had been and how human he had truly felt even if he hadn't showed it on the exterior. He had been quite human until the moment he had descended into utter madness.

But what surprised Cloud most of all was reliving Sephiroth's final defeat by Cloud. He had effectively stopped him, "killed" him with the power First Tsurugi. As the madman fell to his imminent death, he should have felt angry, scared, and a dozen other things than what he had actually felt. Sephiroth hadn't felt any of those things. Of all the things he had felt, it had been _relief_.

Shaking and shuddering from how raw and powerful Sephiroth's memories were, Cloud could do little more than remain crouched on the ground. He didn't look at the silver-haired man until he felt him stirring in his arms. Immediately looking down, Cloud expected to see the man glaring hatefully up at him.

Sephiroth was gazing up at him, but there was nothing in his gaze. His green eyes were blank and devoid of feeling. Shockingly, his pupils were fuller although they still held a slit-like shape to them.

The man seemed…_human_.

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><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

_**A/N: Thank you to all that have read the prologue so far. Feel free to comment. I won't bite. ;)**_

**LordOfTheWest**-You pretty much read everything I write, don't you? Once again, thank you for reading yet another story of mine. Your loyalty is astounding and thank you for that. :D

Glad you enjoyed the chapter even though you don't know too much about FF7. Don't worry, I won't keep you in the dark and you know I always look forward to your questions and comments.

As for top/bottom, yes, you and I pretty much like the same thing when it comes to that. It's different and refreshing and I like exploring it. Anywho, thank you for the review. :)

**Lady Vectress**-Thank you so much for pointing that out! Yes, I had forgotten about that. Somehow my eyes had missed that, of all things. Normally I don't, but meh. But seriously, thanks for saying something about it. :)

I'm glad that I seem to have gotten the characters right. I have heard a lot about FF7, read about it, seen it in fanfics, and even researched it. I at least want to make some things believable enough without going completely over the top.

As for the kind comment about my writing, thank you.

Yes, I do like (and prefer) Sephiroth as a uke/bottom and frankly, there's not enough of that to go around, it seems. I felt like adding some to help. Thank you a bunches for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the next chapter. ;)


	3. CH02: Forgotten

**Let Him In**

Chapter warning(s): Language, Naked Sephiroth, Amnesia, Original Character

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><p>"<em>I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."-<em>Maya Angelou

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><p>CH02: Forgotten<p>

"Sephiroth…?" Came Cloud's hesitant inquiry. It felt strange to be in this position with his greatest of enemies. He wasn't embracing the man, but it sure looked and felt like he was.

The silver-haired man did not move. He just stared blankly at Cloud. There was zero recognition in his vacant jade eyes.

Practicing extreme caution, Cloud discreetly glanced out of the corner of his eyes at First Tsurugi. It was at least 5 feet away, which did not sit well with him. He didn't think that he needed his sword, though, since Sephiroth didn't appear to have Masamune on his very naked person. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean that he couldn't magically summon it or pull it out of his ass. Both options seemed very unlikely, but Sephiroth had never been a predictable man, be it sane or insane.

Cloud decided to try again. "Sephiroth? Are you ok? Can you understand me? Do you know who I am?" Asked Cloud quietly as if he didn't really want to know the answer to that. This was just…so _bizarre_ to him. If only his friend could see him now…

The ex-Shinra General blinked slowly. He remained clinging to Cloud without making a single move. His muscles looked lax as if he weren't stressed. There wasn't even the usual threat of violence looming over him like a dark cloud.

Cloud attempted to formulate a plan on what he should do next. He knew he had to keep Sephiroth alive. Both Aerith and Zack had made that achingly clear to him the day prior. But what was he supposed to do in the mean time? Should he just walked out with Sephiroth in tow and take him home with him? That seemed like the only logical option that he could come up with.

The blond suddenly realized something he had been purposely ignoring up until now. Sephiroth was naked. No clothes. Nothing. And Cloud hadn't thought to bring any spare clothes because honestly, at the time, he hadn't known what he was going to do.

Sighing, Cloud ultimately made a decision. He couldn't bring Sephiroth with him, yet. The blond warrior would have to leave him for the time being and go to the closest town to pick up some clothes that would at least fit him.

Curling his hands over Sephiroth's shoulders, Cloud looked him straight in the eye. He then spoke calmly, yet firmly, "Sephiroth, I have to go now. I will be back soon. Stay here, ok? I want you to stay here. Don't leave. I will be back for you."

Cloud moved to stand up, but the silver-haired man didn't seem to want to let go. Sighing once more, the blond somehow detached himself from the larger man.

The slighter male strode quickly over to his sword and placed it behind him in its rightful place. Before he exited the chamber, he took one last look at the ex-General.

Sephiroth was still sitting in the same exact position. As quickly as he had protested Cloud's abrupt departure, he seemed to be over it now. Blinking every now and then, he didn't move or do anything.

Something about seeing Sephiroth like that haunted Cloud in a way he had never known before. It _almost_tugged at his heartstrings.

* * *

><p>Roughly forty minutes later, Cloud found a small town that looked promising enough. It looked like it housed at least a couple hundred people or so. Some people were outside working, some walking the streets, and the rest most likely inside their humble houses.<p>

The town was called _Fuldenbrück._

After asking around, the blond found a small clothing boutique that catered to both men and women. It would have to do.

He didn't walk in like a customer would. The blond crept in like someone who had accidently walked into the wrong place. Glancing warily around, he couldn't help but cringe. Cloud wasn't exactly the fashion police, but…the style here was _gaudy_.

"Good morning! How may I help you?" Enthusiastically greeted an unmistakably feminine voice. The owner of said voice nearly bounced over to him in glee.

Giving her a quick, yet subtle up-down, Cloud couldn't help but notice she looked remarkably like Tifa, except this girl's breasts were much bigger than his friend's. She also seemed much more bubbly and jubilant. He was going to be in agony, he just knew it. "Uh…_yeah_."

Smiling at him, the sales clerk inquired brightly, "Are you shopping for yourself? I am well qualified to fit men and women. I can help you, if you like."

Walking around and taking a closer look at the male apparel, Cloud said nothing at first. He wasn't sure if he needed her help or not. It didn't help that she hovered around and didn't give him much space. Every time he moved an inch, she moved an inch. The only thing that he noted about her that was a plus was that she was incredibly patient. Instead of pestering him, she waited for him to answer.

"No…not for me."

The girl frowned a bit as if her hopes had been dashed, but she quickly recovered with a smile. "Your…_girlfriend_ then?" She inquired slowly and there was something about the way she said it that implied that she hoped he was indeed single. It was fairly obvious she was attracted to him from her body language and the way she eyed him like juicy meat.

He didn't understand at first why a small town girl would be so suddenly enamored with a stranger like him, but then he remembered. The blond remembered a time many years ago when he had stood in her shoes, so to speak. He remembered feeling just as infatuated and breathless. However, for him, it somehow had been different.

Catching onto her flirty little game, Cloud looked at her coolly with his azure eyes. Without seeming rude, he then replied evenly, "No…"

The shop clerk's face brightened considerably. She was pretty, yes, with her big brown eyes, kind face, long, brown hair, and curvy body. Yet, she was not his type. His type wasn't feminine at all. Her _brother_, (_if she even had one_), for example, would be closer to his type.

Yeah, it was no secret among Cloud and his friends that he preferred the company of men. All of them had accepted it pretty much right away. All except Tifa. She was still coming to terms with it, but she was gradually getting better. Rejection, even if it was kind and gentle, was a wound that took time to heal. And sometimes it would never heal completely.

"I need clothes for my **boyfriend**."

The sales clerk's face collapsed as soon as she had realized exactly what he had just admitted to. Trying to save face, she quickly forced a smile on her pleasant face. "_Oh_…well then, what is his size? Is he…close to your size?"

"No. He's bigger and taller. I would prefer dark and neutral tones of color, if you have them. Nothing bright, please," specified Cloud as he tried to imagine what he would dress the infamous ex-General in. Colors…just seemed so wrong to him. Try as he might, he just couldn't imagine Sephiroth wearing _color_. Hell, even Cloud himself didn't wear much color at all.

The brown-haired woman blinked slowly as she tried to imagine Cloud's _boyfriend_. As soon as he had waved one of his hands in her face, she snapped out of her reverie. "Oh my," she began and then suggested, "Where is he then? Perhaps you should bring him back with you…"

The blond scratched the back of his head and shrugged as he tried to think of what to say to that. Well, the truth was always best, right? "I don't think that'll be appropriate…"

"Why?" She asked curiously with a slight tilt of her head.

"Well, where I left him…"

"Yes?"

"He's kind of _naked_," deadpanned the blue-eyed warrior in his best neutral visage.

"…" The sales clerk blushed a bright crimson. In spite of the flirting and how well built she was, the girl was innocent, yet.

Cloud smirked as soon as she had turned away. It was kind of nice socializing with actual people again. He had _almost_forgotten why he had stopped in the first place.

* * *

><p>After much speeding and skillful maneuvering, Cloud returned to the forest and parked Fenrir in the place he had parked it last time. Grabbing the bag filled with his purchases, he quickly hiked up back to the cave.<p>

Jogging through the tunnel, he reached the chamber a short time later. He wasn't prepared for what he saw when he entered it, though.

Sephiroth was _gone_.

Cursing under his breath, Cloud ran throughout the small cave. Since it was so small, there were only a few other chambers. Not finding the silver-haired man in any of them, the blond concluded that Sephiroth had exited the cave.

Jogging outside, the blond male glanced in every direction. Not spotting Sephiroth anywhere, he then cast his eyes to the ground. His enhanced eyes saw the subtle imprints of footprints in the dirt that unenhanced human eyes would have surely missed.

Following the prints with his eyes, he then begun to carefully follow the footprints. A strange feeling resided in the gut of his stomach and he wasn't sure what it was. Whatever it was, it felt like _instinct_. All he knew was that the more he followed the prints, the stronger the feeling increased until he was no longer walking, but sprinting through the gaps of the trees.

Roughly 20 minutes later, Cloud finally found Sephiroth. He quickly halted and then exhaled breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding.

The silver-haired man was standing still in a clearing. He wasn't doing anything except just standing there.

In the likely chance that Sephiroth had remembered everything and was insane again, Cloud lowered the bag carefully to the ground. Keeping his hand near the hilt of First Tsurugi, he silently and cautiously crept closer until he had worked his way around the taller man. Expecting the worst, he was surprised to see that there wasn't a trace of madness on his blank face.

"Sephiroth?"

The larger man didn't seem to recognize his name, but he did acknowledge that Cloud was there. Turning his head slightly, he stared dully at the blond man in almost the same way a child would when he didn't understand something.

Sighing in relief, Cloud jogged over and picked up the bag. Running back over to the naked man, he stood in front of him. "They didn't really have anything decent in your size. Most of the men in that town aren't as…" Trailed off Cloud as his eyes took in the sleek, yet muscled build of Sephiroth's body. His physique resembled that of a wild cat in the way that it was both powerful, yet lithe. He had both power and agility on his side. Looking back up at that blank, yet charismatic face, Cloud then continued, "…built as you are. These clothes will fit you, but they're going to be a bit snug on your frame."

Staring down at Cloud, Sephiroth said nothing. He didn't even seem all that interested in the open bag that the blond had raised up for him to see inside of.

Cloud would have liked a response, any response. He almost would have preferred it if Sephiroth had glared at him and uttered a scathing, mocking insult about him being a puppet.

Sighing once more, the blond dropped the bag and glanced around again. With his sharp eyes, he could see that _Fuldenbrück_was just a few miles up ahead. If Sephiroth had continued walking around, he might have stumbled into that town in the buff. That sales clerk and her friends would have had more than just an eyeful.

Cloud snickered inwardly at the thought.

* * *

><p>About 20 frustrating minutes later, Cloud had finally dressed Sephiroth from torso to toe. It had taken so long due to the fact that he had had to dress him by himself without any help on the silver-haired man's part. It had almost been like dressing a large dummy, or a corpse.<p>

Wiping some sweat off from his forehead with the back of his glove, Cloud stepped back and regarded his handiwork.

Sephiroth was clad in a three piece outfit that consisted of a grey dress shirt, an off black vest, and black slacks. It all looked a bit tight on his body and the only thing that was his actual size was the ankle high boots. He still looked damn good, though. As sexy as black leather was on him, the classy look was attractive, too.

Considering that Cloud had generally guessed at the ex-General's sizes and that there hadn't been much to offer, he had done a decent job. It would have to do for now. The town closest to his house was larger and had a better selection of attire. He would have to stop by there on the way home.

Positioning himself so that he was standing on his tippy toes behind Sephiroth, Cloud quickly braided his silver mane. In a matter of minutes, the long mane was transformed in a neat, tight braid. The only reason he knew how to braid was because when he had been a kid, he had always braided his mother's long hair.

Shaking that thought away, Cloud took Sephiroth by the wrist and led him away towards the direction of the bike. The silver-haired man did not protest in any way. He just silently followed like a young obedient child would.

* * *

><p>Cloud had to help pull Sephiroth onto the back of Fenrir and position his legs just right so that his boots rested on the foot peg. Once he was satisfied that the man wasn't going to fall off, Cloud straddled his bike and looked behind him at Sephiroth. He reached behind him and brought Sephiroth's arms so that they were wrapped around his waist. "Hold on, Sephiroth. If you don't hold on, you'll fall off and break your skull open."<p>

Sephiroth blinked.

Not sure if he understood or not, Cloud ultimately decided to take a safety precaution. Suddenly remembering something, he fished a belt out of the boutique bag. He had forgotten to put it on him when they had been in the clearing. Wrapping it around their abdomens, Cloud tightened the belt so that they were forced to stay closely linked together. It was lax enough to allow movement and the ability to breathe, but not lax enough for the man to slip out. There was no way Sephiroth would fall off the bike unless he used enough physical force to cause a tumble.

"All right, here we go. I'm going to be driving fast, but I promise I won't kill you," alerted Cloud as he turned on Fenrir. The roar of the engine comforted him along with the vibrations of the bike. Knowing that the man would probably not reply, he carefully drove Fenrir until they were out of the forest and onto the road. As soon as he was out on the road, he sped up considerably.

So far Sephiroth was behaving. He wasn't fidgeting around much or even freaking out. In fact, after awhile, he fell asleep leaned against the smaller male with his face resting on his shoulder. Not sure how he felt about having his enemy literally at his back and resting on him, Cloud tried his best to shake it off and focus on driving.

It was going to be a _long_drive.

* * *

><p>After what felt like forever, Cloud finally arrived in the friendly, bustling rural town called <em>Schönnbach<em>. The town had several farms, some fishing, and a marketplace for trade. The people were simple, yet friendly and didn't know much about the happenings of the rest of the world. Most of them didn't even know Shinra or what SOLDIER was. The famous turned infamous Shinra General Sephiroth had no renown here, either.

Schönnbach was cut off from the rest of the world and that's how they liked it. Strangers were welcome as long as they weren't a nuisance. Cloud came to this town often enough that most of the people knew him by name and face. He was welcome and never caused any ill disputes. If anyone caused trouble, he was always quick to neutralize them or run them out of town. A time or two he had even helped out the town by getting rid of a few bothersome monsters.

Parking Fenrir in the usual spot, he kicked the kickstand out so that Fenrir could stand upright. Unclasping the belt and sliding it away from around them, Cloud hopped off the bike with ease. He then turned and offered a hand out to the silver-haired man, who had been abruptly awakened by the fact that his body pillow had moved.

Blinking in disorientation, Sephiroth soon brought his emerald green gaze upon the slighter man.

"Come on, now, I won't bite you," urged a very patient Cloud.

Sephiroth reached over and slid his hand in Cloud's. He stared at the blond as if waiting for further instruction. His gaze was still mostly blank, yet there was some spark of understanding in those depths.

Cloud closed his fingers around Sephiroth's hand and pulled hard enough to gently force the other man to step off of Fenrir. The seemingly amnesiac man managed not to stumble as his boots met the ground.

"Good," nodded the blond as he turned and started striding in the direction of the marketplace. "Come on, Seph, follow me."

_Seph_. Cloud liked the sound of that. He decided then on that that's what he would call the ex-General when they were in town. Even though the townspeople didn't know of madman Sephiroth, he still didn't want to throw that name around so carelessly.

While walking throughout the market, Cloud noticed all the curious gazes cast his way. A lot of the people stared curiously at Sephiroth since they had never seen him before. The blond man had never come with another person before, so that was interesting as well. Especially since they were both grown men _holding_ hands.

Finally realizing his error, Cloud tried to let go, but Sephiroth's hand wouldn't release him. He held on like a shy little kid would to his parent.

Shaking his head, the blond decided he didn't care if they all thought he was gay. He really was gay. Maybe not with Sephiroth, but if they thought his enemy, well, _former_ enemy was his lover, then so be it.

"Cloud! Hi Cloud!" Came the unmistakable sound of a child's voice.

Cloud kept walking, but he did turn his head to greet the child. "Hi Hana…"

A girl who was about 10 years old, with short red hair, big brown eyes, and pale, freckled skin ran over to him like a boy would. She did her best to keep up with his longer and faster strides. She didn't fail to notice the very tall man that nearly clung to the blond. "Who's _he_? He's very pretty…like you, Cloud."

"He's…a friend of mine."

"He got a name?" Hana asked as she glanced back and forth between them. Something about her manner was more like a boy's than a little girl's. It was fairly obvious that she was a tomboy.

"His name is Seph."

"Oh. Well, hi Seph!" Greeted Hana as she turned around, walking backwards and waving at Sephiroth.

"…" Sephiroth slowly looked at the Hana, but he didn't reply.

"He's _weird_. What's wrong with him?" Whispered Hana as she turned back around to look at the blond.

"Seph has amnesia," patiently explained Cloud. He believed he was telling the truth. The ex-General could be pretending not to remember anything, true, but it didn't seem to be that way. He had been too arrogant and proud to let Cloud touch him. There was no way he would have put up with everything just to trick the blond. Or at least, that's what Cloud hoped.

"What's amnesia?"

"It's when you can't remember who you are or any of your memories. He has it really bad. Seph can't remember anything. That's why he's acting like _that_."

"Oh…well…" Hana looked thoughtful as she stared at nothing in particular. She turned around again and said, "Seph, I hope you get well soon!"

The silver-haired man didn't respond to that, either.

"So why ya here in town, Cloud? Everything has been pretty boring lately," sighed Hana.

"I need to get a few supplies."

"Oh, ok, well my dad has a few good deals going on. Be sure to go see him. I have to go back to school now, so see ya around, Cloud…_and_ Seph!" Spoke the red-head with a wave before she ran off in the direction of her school.

Cloud hoped she wasn't cutting classes, again. He had already had a stern talk with her about failing school and how education was important and all that good stuff. He didn't want the kid making the same kinds of mistakes that he had made.

"This won't take too long, I promise. After this, I'll take you home," paused Cloud as he noticed a certain kind of faint odor in the air. Sephiroth slightly smelled like Mako and that was not a smell that Cloud particularly liked. He then finished, "And then I'll give you a _bath_."

* * *

><p>Roughly a few hours later, Cloud brought Sephiroth inside of his sparsely decorated house. Dumping the bags on the ground near the door, he slumped against the wall after the door was closed. He was exhausted. Cloud hated shopping and trying to find the right clothes for the silver-haired man had been such a hassle.<p>

Sephiroth slowly looked around, but he did not move from his spot. It seemed like he was testing the waters.

"It's ok, Seph. You don't need my permission to explore my house. But before I give you the grand tour, I think you really need a bath," informed Cloud as he picked up the bags again. "Follow me…"

The green-eyed male silently followed Cloud as he led him to the bathroom. He didn't seem to know what was going on, but he trusted the smaller man.

Ten minutes later, Sephiroth was sitting awkwardly in a bathtub full of warm, fragrant smelling water. He blinked and stared at all the bubbles. He looked very much like a child in a grown man's body. It was clear that he wasn't all there, yet. In some ways, he acted like an infant minus all the crying.

Cloud sat in a chair beside the tub as he scrubbed at Sephiroth's body with a red loofah. It felt so strange to be here with his former enemy like this. This was something intimate that normally would be done with a lover or a child. It made things even weirder, but it was something he had to do. Sephiroth couldn't exactly take care of himself right now with the state that he was in.

He was slowly growing accustomed to Sephiroth's non-threatening presence, but it still felt odd. It was almost like being in a dream that made absolute sense until you woke up. He still had his doubts; lingering doubts that Sephiroth would turn insane and try to kill him and the planet again. Yet something deep inside of his being told him that this wasn't a trick. It was very real and Sephiroth needed him right now. Of all people, this so-called god needed _him_.

It would take time to get used to this. Time, everything always took _time_.

In spite of what a pain in an ass this had all been today, it felt kind of nice. It felt nice to have someone around and to take care of someone else. It didn't feel so…_lonely _anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

_**A/N: This chapter was very tedious to write. Bear with me and thanks for sticking around. Thanks for reading and for all the reviews. :D**_


	4. CH03: Beginning

**Let Him In**

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight implications of M/M Yaoi, Masturbation, Amnesiac/Mute Sephiroth

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><p>"<em>It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live<em>._"-_Marcus Aurelius

* * *

><p>CH03: Beginning<p>

A week quietly passed without any serious incident. Sephiroth still didn't speak, but he seemed to comprehend more and more with each passing day. There was an intelligent gleam to his eyes that implied that he wasn't an invalid and that he was indeed learning in spite of the severe memory loss. Being physically healthy and a fast learner, Sephiroth could now do more for himself and didn't require Cloud unless he was confused by something in particular. He could even ride with Cloud without having to be strapped to the blond. The silver-haired man even seemed to enjoy the rides as much as Cloud himself did.

One little quirk about the green-eyed man was that he followed Cloud _everywhere_. If the blond went outside, Sephiroth would follow immediately. If Cloud went anywhere, period, the amnesiac was right there along with him. It didn't exactly bother the blond per se, but it was something that he wasn't used to.

Strangest of all Sephiroth's odd little quirks, he wouldn't sleep alone. Even when Cloud forced him to lay down in the room he had given to Sephiroth, the silver-haired man would leave his bed to seek the blond out. He would then crawl into Cloud's bed like an overgrown child and latch onto him tightly as if the blond were his mommy.

Tired from a full day of work AND baby-sitting the amnesiac, Cloud had stopped bothering to protest at all. He was just too tired to care and even though it was Sephiroth, it didn't irk him that much. The first few nights were incrediably awkward for the blond man, but after a week of Seph sleeping curled up to him, he began to grow used to it. He didn't even bother to try and force the bigger man to go back to his own bed. It was kind of comforting in a way to have someone there and to wake up to them still being there in the morning.

There was a problem, though. Cloud was **gay**. That meant that having Sephiroth _on_ him, lying _next_ to him, and _touching_ him, was having an unwanted, adverse effect on him. The man was sexy and he was hot. He was all the things the blond found attractive in another man. Well, minus the homicidal, psychopathic, and insane qualities.

In spite of everything, Cloud was still attracted to Sephiroth. Ever since boyhood, that was the man he had adored and worshipped. In adolescence, that was the man he had had a raging crush on. No matter how hard and how bad things were, it was always hard to shake off all of the feelings. Love was something that liked to linger for a bit even if it was unwelcome.

So yes, Cloud still found Sephiroth sexually appealing. So much so that it took all of his strength **not** to shove Seph on his back or stomach to _fuck_ him. The only thing that kept his beast at bay was Sephiroth's childlike innocence.

It was startling how many different feelings this man inspired Cloud to feel. It was so conflicting that it was like being burned and frozen at the same time. No one else had ever made him feel such a chaotic combination of hate, love, desire, lust, agony, sorrow, joy, and more. It was all tightly meshed together in a cage inside of his troubled soul. He couldn't even tell the emotions apart anymore. It was as if every feeling and emotion had melted into _one_.

In short, Cloud felt like he was fucked, and no, not in the way that he'd like.

* * *

><p>Early one morning, the blond man headed outside to take care of the Chocobos. Like clockwork, the silver-haired man followed him outside like a puppy on his heels.<p>

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud watched as the taller male lowered himself to the ground. He sat with his legs criss-crossed on the ground and watched quietly as the blond fed the birds. Even though he technically stalked Cloud, he was getting much better at giving the smaller male the space that he needed. He had learned what the blond had needed without Cloud having to express his feelings on the matter.

Grabbing a shovel in one hand, Cloud hopped over the fence easily enough. He landed effortlessly in the enclosure and strode over to the wheel barrow. He then pulled it over to the far end of the pen where the Chocobos disposed of their waste. They were smart animals and knew better than to urinate and defecate wherever they walked.

Even though Cloud zoned out, he was still quick and efficient as he scooped up their droppings and dropped them into the wheelbarrow. Since he did this pretty much every morning, he usually didn't have much to shovel up come the next day.

The slighter man didn't seem to notice that the silver Chicobo was eyeballing him something fierce. Its feathers were all ruffled up as it strutted around in agitation. It didn't particularly enjoy being collared and chained. After clawing at the ground several times, it decided to try pulling at the chain again. It tugged and yanked at the chain until somehow, it pulled _free_.

A rush of wind and a pained squawk finally knocked Cloud out of his stupor. Blinking, he immediately stopped what he was doing. Thrusting the shovel into the ground, he turned around and looked towards the commotion.

Standing less than three feet away was Sephiroth…with the Chicobo's neck gripped tightly in his hand. All the juvenile had received in warning was some tightening pressure from the silver-haired man's hand. The silver bird looked like it desperately wanted to struggle, but it remained still because it was smart enough not to push for death.

Cloud didn't know what to say, so he merely uttered, "Seph…"

The green-eyed man nodded curtly and promptly released the bird. He kept his narrowed eyes focused on the Chicobo as it slinked away in humiliated defeat. There was a silent threat in his eyes and stance that told the juvenile that if it tried anything again, he would do more than just give him temporary neck pain.

Feeling stupid for being caught off his guard, Cloud scratched the back of his head and mumbled, "Thanks. I didn't even see him coming…"

Someone else would have laughed or remarked that he should have been paying attention, but Sephiroth did neither of those things. He merely nodded curtly and then walked back to the spot he had been previously sitting in. There was no judgment in his face as he watched from afar. If there was anything in his eyes, it seemed to be _concern_.

Cloud didn't know which Sephiroth troubled him more; the crazy one or the caring one.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful. Cloud spent several hours in the morning repairing this and that, tending after the Chocobos, and other tedious chores. Some of the things he did weren't all that necessary for him to do, but he was a busybody. He couldn't stand being idle.<p>

When he had finished with everything, the blond then entered the house and went straight for the bathroom. Peeling off all of his sullied clothes, he turned on the shower and stepped underneath the hot spray of water. Sighing, he tensed up when he thought he had heard a noise.

It was nothing.

Part of him was afraid the silver-haired man would walk in and join him in the bathroom. Sometimes Sephiroth opted to take showers with him and Cloud was very uncomfortable with that since it was hard to hide an erection when he was, well, _naked_.

Perhaps Sephiroth was also picking up on the fact that Cloud needed some alone time. Whatever reason it was, the blond appreciated it nonetheless.

For several long minutes, he stood under the hot water. All his tense muscles slightly loosened up as he slowly relaxed. It was extremely difficult to relax when he knew his former enemy was somewhere in the house, _his_ house, doing Gaia knows what.

Cloud cursed himself for thinking about the ex-General while he was in the shower. He could feel himself becoming erect already. Instead of changing the setting to cold water or thinking repulsive thoughts to will it away, he reached down and gripped his manhood. This was a good stress reducer and getting rid of the problem now while he was alone was a better idea.

Leaning his head against the tile of the shower wall, Cloud used his free hand for support against the wall as he jacked off. He wanted it over as soon as possible, but mere physical stimulation wasn't enough for him. Thoughts of other men didn't seem to help much. They just left him feeling cold and unaffected. He was trying his hardest **not** to think about someone in particular.

Screwing his eyes shut tight and gritting his teeth, Cloud growled. Flashes of green eyes gazed back at him from the darkness of his closed eyes. Images of a gorgeous face and a strong, fit body flashed in his mind as well. Before he could stop himself, the blond saw that body splayed out before him with those long, strong legs parted enticingly. He then saw that hand stroking down over a smooth, broad chest and then over chiseled abs. It didn't take long for that hand to reach that impressive organ sprung up between powerful thighs. Long fingers then wrapped around that erection in such a way that instantly had Cloud seeing white as he came.

Panting, the blond turned and leaned against the shower wall so that the water would wash away all evidence of his pleasure. In his fantasy, Sephiroth had barely touched himself and the blond had already released. _Pathetic_.

* * *

><p>After his shower, the blond had quickly dried and dressed himself. He next chose to walk around in search of the object of his, ahem, rather abrupt <em>fantasy<em>.

Sephiroth was lying on the couch watching television. Or at least, he was at some point. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was asleep. He was lying on his stomach and his arm had fallen off the couch. His hand was near the forgotten remote control on the ground. Seph looked even more like an angel when he slept.

Half-smiling, Cloud gingerly seated himself near the dozing man in an effort not to wake him up. Picking up the remote, he changed the channel to something that was slightly more interesting or at least, fairly tolerable. He didn't really care that much for TV, but it was something he had come to live with. Something about the noise and the light comforted him in some small way. It was better than the disconcerting silence of the house.

As if sensing that the blond was nearby, the silver-haired male moved until he was lying in Cloud's lap. After awhile, he changed positions again by wrapping both arms around the blond. He then buried his face in the slighter male's stomach, which was dangerously close to his groin.

Cloud stared down at the half-slumbering ex-General. He didn't have the heart to shove him off, and he really didn't want to, either. If they were both comfortable like this, then it didn't really matter.

One hand dropped down to gently play with Sephiroth's long, silken hair. Admittedly, it was a guilty pleasure of his, to touch the man's beautiful hair. Sephiroth didn't seem to mind it and in fact seemed to relish having his hair touched. It also seemed to calm them both down to the brink of sleep.

It was late afternoon, but Cloud felt exhausted nevertheless. After an hour of channel surfing and stroking Sephiroth's hair, he put the remote down and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes while he still continued to slowly stroke that silky hair. Each touch got slower and slower as he felt his consciousness slowly fade away…

But before he could enjoy his nap, he was rudely woken up by Sephiroth moving around. Glancing down at the ex-General, Cloud was mildly surprised to see those emerald eyes of his staring intently up at him.

"What's wrong, Seph? You hungry or something?" Cloud asked even though he really didn't expect an answer. The most he ever got from the silver-haired man was a nod or a shake of his head.

Sephiroth didn't move or say anything. He merely stared up at Cloud as if there was something he desperately wanted to do or say. He partially looked like he might be in pain.

Slightly worried, the blond touched Sephiroth's forehead with the back of his hand to check for a fever. Feeling none, he then felt compelled to touch the man's anxious face in an effort to comfort him. "Seph? Are you ok?"

Sephiroth slowly nodded.

The blond didn't even bother to ask any more questions. Whatever it was, it would probably go away soon enough. For all he knew, the ex-General had probably had another one of his nightmares and was spooked by it.

Leaning back again and closing his eyes, he resumed stroking Sephiroth's hair. The weary blond was not at all prepared for what came next.

"_Cloud_," whispered Sephiroth.

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

**_A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews, story/author alerts, fav story/author, and for reading, of course. :D_**


	5. CH04: Communication

**Let Him In**

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight implications of M/M Yaoi, Amnesiac Sephiroth 

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><p>"<em>Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something<em>._"-_Plato 

* * *

><p>CH04: Communication <p>

Cloud was _speechless_.

The former General said nothing else as he continued to gaze up at his blond-haired "caretaker".

To Cloud, it was almost like getting stabbed all over again. Hearing _that_ voice, that **voice** that had caused him so much grief and pain, was irrevocably beyond words. What was also shocking was that Sephiroth's voice carried no malice, no mockery, and no arrogance. His tone was completely different. It was almost like a child speaking his mother's name for the first time. It was…_beautiful_.

Sephiroth's brow furrowed after awhile as if he were confused about something. Why wasn't Cloud responding to him? Determination set in when he figured out that the other man had possibly not heard him. He repeated once more, "Cloud."

"…" Cloud still said nothing. He just stared at him with his sky blue eyes out of focus as if his head was buried in the clouds.

"Cloud!" Persisted Sephiroth once more, this time in a slightly raised voice. He had come to the conclusion that perhaps he wasn't speaking loud enough for the daydreaming Cloud to hear. The silver-haired male had learned from watching Cloud that sometimes the blond had to raise his voice to get the attention of some of the more miscreant types of Chocobos. Oh, yes, he was learning from him.

Cloud shook his head as if to scatter away any and all loose, unwanted thoughts while the glazed look on his face melted away nearly instantly. The first response that spilled out of his mouth was, "Yeah?" even though initially that wasn't the first thing that came to mind. A part of him was afraid of outright asking Sephiroth, '_Do you remember anything?_'

"Cloud…"

"Yes, that is my name," Cloud said quietly with a quick nod of his head. However; as soon as he had spoken, something else had finally occurred to him. He had never once uttered his own name to Sephiroth. At least, he didn't think he had. "How do you know my name?"

Sephiroth looked confused once again. Raising both of his silver eyebrows, he looked as if the blond man had asked him a silly question. He formed his next few words slowly and carefully as if truly unsure of himself. "Your name...I _know_. Cloud. You are…Cloud."

That was another thing that was off about Sephiroth. He had once been the great Shinra General and had never seemed uncertain about himself. The proud man had once been about power, grace, and perfection until he had fallen from grace. But now, he was different and new. The silver-haired man was like a familiar-looking book with unwritten, blank pages.

"And you are Sephiroth."

The green-eyed man nodded eagerly and then gifted Cloud with a small smile. "I am…Sephiroth. _Seph_."

Touching the man's gorgeous face with curled fingers, Cloud stared down at him with an unreadable look. He suddenly felt compelled to dig his blunt nails roughly into that face when he had felt a bitter twinge of anger take hold of him. He abruptly stopped himself before he could hurt Sephiroth, though. Something about the sheer innocence in that face prevented him from hurting him.

Not noticing the blond's inner battle, Sephiroth bent his arms over Cloud's legs and laid his head down in his lap. Yawning quietly, his green orbs slid shut as he laid curled up in the blond's lap. Looking like he did right then, he looked unbelievably gentle and harmless. A stranger witnessing this act would have found it hard to believe that the silver-haired man had once been a homicidal nut job.

Leaning his head back against the couch again, Cloud's tired eyes slid closed seemingly of their own accord. His nimble, yet hard-working fingers slipped back into the comfortable routine of playing with the man's lengthy hair. The hand slowed in its languid movements until the body it was connected to finally fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>A couple of days had passed since Sephiroth had uttered his first spoken word. Even though he could speak and could pronounce words and construct sentences better, he still did not speak often. It was not his way, it seemed. He was a man of few words and only talked when he deemed it necessary.<p>

Cloud, on the other hand, was brimming with barely contained excitement. Sephiroth could _speak!_ The blond was buzzing full of many unanswered questions that he felt the other man could answer. He felt impatient and restless, but he did his best not to show it or push his…_ward?_ What was this man to him anyway? Friend, foe, stranger? He did not know.

Even though he was technically taking care of the older man, Sephiroth was quickly becoming more independent with each passing day. The ex-Shinra General no longer required to take showers or baths with Cloud. He could dress, groom, and perform every ordinary daily function without the blond's assistance. Because of his newfound independence, Sephiroth also did not follow at Cloud's heels like a puppy anymore.

Whenever the blond was busy with something in particular, the taller male kept his distance with an ever watchful eye. He seemed to sense that Cloud needed some space and perhaps with his own growing confidence he felt that he, too, needed his own personal space. Whatever his reasons, Cloud wasn't entirely sure _why_. He often caught Sephiroth pacing around as if deep in thought or staring off into the distance as if he could see something troubling or perplexing. Upon being questioned about this, the silver-haired man merely blinked and cocked his head.

The only thing that had not changed about his behavior was his need to be physically close to the smaller male. At certain times of the day and night, he would curl up on Cloud's lap or lean on him. It varied in the way that sometimes the touches lingered and sometimes they were very brief. And when it was time for some shut eye, Sephiroth followed Cloud into the bed and latched onto him as if that was where he truly belonged.

Cloud didn't mind it so much anymore.

* * *

><p>Wiping the oil and grease on his faded work pants, Cloud walked out of the garage and glanced around for something tall, silver, and dressed in dark colors. For a few moments he inwardly panicked when he did not spot Sephiroth immediately. His anxious blue eyes darted around like a mother desperately looking for her lost child.<p>

He was instantly relieved when he had spotted the man standing still on a grass covered hill. It was still located on Cloud's land, but it was the farthest that Sephiroth had wandered off without Cloud accompanying him.

After jogging over to the statuesque being, the blond hesitantly inquired, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Muttered Sephiroth without ripping his eyes away from whatever it was that held him transfixed.

Cloud sighed. "No, I mean, _what_ are you staring at?"

Astonishingly long silver strands blew gently in the slight breeze as he turned his head slowly to consider the other man. What was he staring at? He honestly didn't know. All he knew was that he felt _compelled_ to stare. In a low, defeated sort of voice, he sighed, "I do not know."

For a moment, the blond warrior saw the Silver General standing before his eyes with his side facing him. The Demon of Wutai stood there in his armor and black billowing coat as he gripped his graceful blade in his left hand.

"Cloud…?"

The regal and beautiful, yet fearsome image dissipated as soon as Sephiroth's low baritone broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

Sephiroth's brow furrowed as he scrutinized the slighter male. He wasn't blind. He had seen the horrified look on the blond's face. Even his instincts were screaming that something was wrong. "Something is amiss…"

Cloud walked over until they were standing side by side. Glancing down, he stared down at the hand that had once wielded _Masamune_. It looked hauntingly empty as if it needed to be filled by something. It needed a purpose.

Bothered by Cloud's silence, the silver-haired male stared down at him in undisguised apprehension. Sounding almost timid, he tried once again to get a response from Cloud. "What is wrong?"

Shaking his head, Cloud mumbled, "Nothing," and slipped his dirty right hand in Sephiroth's clean left hand.

A silent sigh of relief exhaled itself from Sephiroth's lips. He didn't even seem to mind, let alone notice that Cloud's warm, yet calloused hand was sullied by oil and grease from the machines he tended to tinker with.

Several long minutes passed in silence until Cloud could bear it no longer. Looking up at the taller man, he watched him with a careful gaze as he quietly inquired, "Seph, do you remember anything?"

Taken aback by that, green eyes looked down into blue in bewilderment. "What do you mean by that?"

Cloud felt hesitant to ask, but he tentatively shot for it anyway. "Do you remember any _memories_?"

"Memories," echoed Sephiroth as he stared at nothing in particular.

"Yes, memories. Things you've done and said. Things others have done and said. Like right now, us standing here will later be a memory for you and for me," explained the blond in the simplest way that he could. Sephiroth wasn't stupid. He just needed clarification at times.

Sephiroth's face suddenly brightened and he smiled at Cloud, and oh Gaia, it was _breathtaking_. Cloud almost missed his answer. "Yes, I have memories, Cloud."

Casting his gaze to the ground, he asked quietly, "Could you tell me about them? That is, if you don't mind…"

The silver-haired man nodded curtly. For something as personal as a memory, he didn't seem to mind sharing at all. His brow creased as he took a few moments to wrack his brain for memories. It didn't take long at all since he didn't have that many of them. "I remember being in a dark, cold place. I didn't like it and I was…trapped. But then…I remember suddenly feeling such warmth…and then there was light. I did not know what it was, but I wanted it, no, I needed it."

The blond nodded in encouragement, desperately hungry for more. That feeling surprised him.

A faint smile remained on the larger man's face as he continued, "At the time, I did not know what it was, but I know now."

"What was it?"

Sephiroth turned his face and looked down at Cloud in affection. "You."

"Oh." Warmth flooded through Cloud in such a way that he had to tear his eyes away from the other man and focus his attention on something, anything else. He was sure he was blushing now. He cursed silently at himself and hoped Seph didn't notice how stupid he looked. Gaia, he was a _grown_ man, yet here he was acting and feeling like some adolescent with a crush.

"Cloud?"

Coughing, the blond man then asked, "Do you remember anything else?"

"I do not remember much, Cloud," admitted Sephiroth as his brow furrowed again in concentration. He felt like he should remember more, but he honestly remembered everything in a dream-like way. A lot of it was faded and surreal and he found it hard to explain coherently. It was like barely grasping the basic concept of an idea without being able to explain the formula. "I remember…you brought me to a place with people. I remember an odd child. Something about clothes…and you brought me here. I remember something…about being clothed, fed, and bathed. I remember you working and fighting those birds…and a silver bird that always tries to get the better of you. I also remember riding on Fenrir with you and liking it…"

Cloud frowned. "That's all?"

"Am I supposed to remember more than that?" Asked Sephiroth in a worried tone of voice.

The blond-haired man had already suspected as much. Hearing Sephiroth declare it only confirmed what he had already known. That day in the cave when he had, ahem, _accidently_ resurrected Sephiroth…he had relieved each and every one of the former General's memories. He was in full possession of all of Sephiroth's past memories now.

"Cloud?"

He weighed his options carefully as he glared at the ground. Would Sephiroth eventually gain his memories back by himself and was Cloud supposed to ease him into remembering? Or maybe he was supposed to just give them all back immediately? He wasn't certain as to what he was supposed to do with Seph's memories, but his gut told him to wait lest he unwittingly drive the amnesiac back into madness.

"Are you angry?"

Cloud squeezed the other man's hand and shook his head. Even as he spoke it, he meant it as the truth, but something about the statement felt like half a lie. "I'm not angry at you, Seph."

Sephiroth smiled. The relief eased into his partially human eyes.

Staring shamelessly at the taller man, he couldn't help focusing his attention on those thin, yet shapely lips upturned in a natural smile. The same thoughts from before drifted back into his head, only this time instead of remaining a mere thought, he breathed, "You're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you, Cloud."

Surprised by Sephiroth's reply, Cloud didn't know what to say to that. He knew he disagreed with it. Oh yeah, anyone with eyes could see that Sephiroth ironically had the beauty _and_ charisma of a god. He was ethereally beautiful whereas Cloud…

Cloud was…well, Cloud was just Cloud. 

* * *

><p>Sometime during the night, Cloud awoke to the feeling of sweet friction against his crotch. Blinking his eyes open in the darkness, he laid there for a few minutes before he realized that it was Sephiroth's leg that was responsible for all that friction.<p>

The silver-haired man was asleep and laying partially on top of him. Normally he was curled up next to him or clinging to him, but this time he was covering him like a blanket.

Whatever dream he was experiencing was probably very intense due to all the twitching and squirming that the silver-haired man was doing in his sleep. His eyes rolled involuntarily behind his eyelids and his lips moved as if he was talking, but no sound came out. It was odd because normally Seph didn't move much in his sleep even when he suffered from a nightmare.

Hissing, Cloud grabbed that long, strong leg and used force to stop the limb from moving. Because of all the involuntary movement on Sephiroth's part, the blond was already half-erect. Being aroused near Sephiroth wasn't that unusual since the blond already found it difficult to sleep with such an attractive man next to or on him _every_ night. It was hard enough as it were every night, but this, this was sheer torture.

Being mindful not to wake the man, Cloud eased Sephiroth off of him until the former General was lying on his back like a soldier. To prevent the other man from rolling back onto him, Cloud carefully crawled on top of Sephiroth and settled himself so that he was lying comfortably on top of the taller man without causing any discomfort on Sephiroth's part.

Sephiroth almost instantly stopped squirming around and his lips stopped moving. He was so still that he could have been mistaken for dead, but Cloud had his face buried in his chest. He could hear the steady, soothing beat of a heart pumping blood through the larger man's slumbering body. Listening to that heartbeat, it was all the proof he needed that the man beneath him was truly alive. Cloud listened to the steady thump until his fatigued eyes slowly slid shut of their own accord. His arousal waned until he was fast asleep again and all was temporarily forgotten. 

* * *

><p>The next morning mostly passed with little incident.<p>

Cloud spent the majority of the day looking after the Chocobos and repairing whatever needed fixing. It was tiresome how something was _always_ breaking. Something always needed to be repaired or replaced. If he had been any other person, he would have said _fuck it!_ and given up a long time ago.

Cursing under his breath, the compact blond marched into the shed to look for the particular tools that he needed for the repair. Working his way almost effortlessly around the small shack, his back was turned to the opened doorway. If he had been turned around, he might have noticed the flash of passionate color.

Standing on that little hill again, Sephiroth gazed at nothing in specific. He just felt the need to stand there and to look, to _search_. He didn't know what he was looking for, but whatever it was, it wasn't exactly convincing him to go look for it, yet. It was just ensnaring his attention for the time being. Why, he still didn't know.

Even though Sephiroth suddenly became aware of a strange presence standing behind him, he wasn't at all prepared for the sound of a cocked gun. The sound of it was sharp and it seemed to echo in his ears in such a way that had him wincing.

Disturbed and confused, the silver-haired man started to move, but the feel of metal pressed roughly against his skull halted him for a moment. It wasn't the actual object that stopped him, but the voice that followed the action.

The quiet, yet steeled voice of a man hissed, "Don't move, _Sephiroth_." 

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><p><em><strong>AN: Thanks for reviews, reading, fav author/story, author/story alerts, and etc. :) **_


	6. CH05: Abhorrence

**Let Him In**

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight M/M Yaoi, Slight violence, Some angst, Amnesiac Sephiroth

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><p>"<em>It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get<em>."-Confucius****

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><p>CH05: Abhorrence <p>

There was nothing but heavy, tense silence for a span of several long minutes that felt like hours.

Sephiroth froze and did not move. As confused as he was, he was far from stupid. He had the barrel of a gun pressed hard against his skull and he knew (_from watching television_) that if he made a wrong move, something bad would happen.

Unable to bear it any longer, the silver-haired man calmly asked, "What do you want?"

It seemed to be the wrong thing to say because the gun was then shoved harder against his skull. The man, whoever he may be, spoke ever so quietly and evenly in such a way that nothing but a slight inflection in his voice betrayed everything he was feeling. A swirl of negative emotions and feelings radiated from the man to such a point that Sephiroth swore he could feel it poisoning him like some toxin. There were times he felt the same sort of things emitting from Cloud, but it was more subtle and it was usually very brief. It was never this intense and the blond had never sought to threaten or harm him in any way.

"You couldn't stay dead, could you? You just had to come back. Haven't you done enough already? No, apparently not. You had to come back, to come here and inflict more damage on him, on everyone. It will never end until this planet is destroyed, huh? Until you are a _god_?"

The green-eyed ex-General _flinched_ at that. He could feel the heat behind the accusations and amidst all the confusion…it still hurt even though he didn't understand. "I do not know what you are referring to."

"Playing stupid? I'm not going to fall for your cheap ploy, Sephiroth."

"…_who_ are you?"

The man's gloved hand gripped the gun harder and it almost shook with how irate he was. Normally someone that never lost his calm composure, he found it hard to keep it intact. He clung to his resolve as hard as he could. The man was just so angry, though. So bitter and pissed off. Imagine his unpleasant surprise and utter horror to come here and see **Sephiroth** standing there on _Cloud's_ property. But what was worse was Jenova's little puppet was playing _innocent_. It was obviously another one of his sick games, another trick, but still, it was an insult nonetheless.

"I am the one who will pull the trigger. I should. I want to."

"Then pull the trigger," dared Sephiroth in a low voice.

The man wielding the gun was caught off his guard. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear. He had expected to hear mockery dripping from Sephiroth's voice. He had expected malice, disdain, hate, rage, disgust, and every other thing he and the others had come to associate with the madman. But not this. This was…unlike Sephiroth.

Sephiroth was operating on sheer instinct alone now. Since his mind offered nothing he could use in this situation, he would stick with what he felt. He would go with what felt _right_.

Noticing that the other man was temporarily distracted, the silver-haired male knew this was probably his only chance to take control of the situation before it got way out of hand.

Inhaling deeply, yet silently, Sephiroth then chose that very moment to smack the gun away from his skull. He whipped around quickly and lunged at the other man in a whirlwind of silver hair.

There was a violent, yet brief struggle.

A loud shot resounded throughout the previously silent and peaceful valley.

And then there was the heavy sound of a body thudding hard against the ground. 

* * *

><p>Something was wrong. Cloud could feel it distinctly like goose bumps prickling all over his skin. The hair on the back of his neck rose up in response to the bad feeling.<p>

Darting out of the shed with speed and agility, the blond had run out just in time to see two figures standing together. He couldn't see them too clearly since they were too far away, but he could tell that one of them was Sephiroth.

There was a threat hanging in the air. He could actually feel that Seph was in mortal danger.

Swelling with the need to protect the amnesiac, Cloud sprinted towards the pair of men as fast as he possibly could. He ran and as he ran, he felt the sweet burn in his thighs. Just as he was halfway there, he heard a loud shot and then saw both bodies falling with a loud _thump!_ against the ground.

Cloud's chest felt so fucking tight that he couldn't breathe. Dreading the scene before him, he felt numb from the shock as he kept running. No caring about oxygen or for his screaming muscles, he kept sprinting towards the fallen.

For the first time in his life, Cloud desperately hoped that Sephiroth was _not_ dead. 

* * *

><p>Cloud didn't know what he had expected to find, well, that's a lie. He knew what he had expected, but this was not it. This was…well, he could find no words to describe it.<p>

Sephiroth had _Vincent Valentine_ effectively pinned down to the ground. Each arm was held down tight right above Vincent's head by the wrists. The rest of the former madman's powerful body was pressed firmly against the other's body to cease struggle. Sephiroth had positioned himself just right so that Vincent couldn't throw him off or kick him in any shape or form. In other words, the dark-haired man was subdued…for now.

Vincent was at a loss for words and was frustrated as hell. No matter how hard he had struggled, he couldn't throw Sephiroth off of him. He was too strong. What disturbed him most was that the silver-haired man seemed much more powerful _now_ than he had been during the METEOR crisis.

_Cerberus_ lay several feet away, alone and forgotten in the dirt.

"What is going on here?" Cloud heard himself asking while he stood there blinking. Whatever threat had loomed in the air was gone now. No one was seriously hurt and no one had been shot. He was relieved to know that. But…

In spite of his relief, Cloud felt something completely unexpected. He was…_jealous_. Jealous to see _his_ Sephiroth on top of someone else. Touching and looking at someone else. As stupid as it was, he couldn't help feeling it. He knew that the ex-General was merely restraining the gunslinger, but to his eyes, it inspired his neglected imagination. It made him think about how good the two looked together and how they looked perfect for one another. It was _sickening_.

The angelic, gorgeous face turned to look at Cloud. Those green eyes looked hard and angry until they saw the blond. As soon as he had looked at Cloud, all the bad feelings dissipated into nothing. "I do not know, Cloud."

Cloud sighed, "Well, start with what happened…"

"He aimed a gun at my head and threatened to shoot me. He accused me of things I have not done. Of things I do not desire to do," Sephiroth whispered. His voice wavered a bit from the stress and confusion of the perplexing situation. He honestly didn't understand why he had been attacked by this stranger. The silver-haired man had done nothing wrong…or at least, that's what he thought.

Vincent blinked. Instead of saying "_What the fuck is going on here?_" like Cid or Barret would have done, he chose to remain silent in favor of observing Cloud and Sephiroth. He would do so until he had at least grasped a better understanding of what exactly was transpiring here.

The blond noticed a crimson stain on Sephiroth's lips. Immediately alarmed, he quickly gestured for the man to approach him. "Come here, Seph. You're bleeding. Let me look at it."

No longer threatened by the gunslinger, Sephiroth rose without injuring Vincent or causing him further discomfort. He then obediently strode over to Cloud and stood in front of him as he waited patiently on the blond to inspect him.

Cloud gingerly touched Sephiroth's lips and then sighed. "Your bottom lip is busted, but I think it'll be OK, Seph. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Sephiroth shook his head. If he had been a cat, he probably would have purred from all the attention he was receiving from the blond man. It didn't help that he had green eyes with slits for pupils. If he grinned, he would probably greatly resemble a Cheshire cat.

"I'm relieved to know you're all right, Seph. You scared me for a moment," admitted Cloud, who stepped forward and closed the space between them. He encircled his arms around the taller man and embraced him tightly. He felt more than he saw Sephiroth's arms returning the comforting embrace. It felt unbelievingly good to touch him after such a scare.

Cloud didn't like losing people and in his life, he had lost a lot. He wasn't willing to lose Sephiroth, too. In truth, he didn't know if he could handle that. The man had been such an integral part of his life that whether it was centered on hate or love, Cloud could not get rid of him. Sephiroth was like a tattoo that branded Cloud's soul with such unrelenting force and power.

Obsession was an understatement.

Vincent slowly sat up as he rubbed at his sore wrists. Both of his hands felt completely numb from the lack of circulation. He wasn't too concerned about that, though. The crimson-eyed man was more concerned about the fact, (_or maybe it was an illusion_) that Cloud was _hugging_ Sephiroth. This couldn't be right…

The ex-Turk was at a loss for words. This made absolutely no sense to him. Why would Cloud embrace his enemy in such a way? The real Cloud would have confronted Sephiroth and struck him down. Ah, so maybe that's it. The blond Buster sword wielder had been brain-washed and the homicidal maniac was using him like he was his little puppet. It wouldn't be the first time.

Using stealth as his cover, Vincent smoothly stood up and located his gun. Picking up Cerberus, he then turned and aimed it right at Sephiroth with every intention of shooting him dead this time. "Cloud, get out of the way."

Alarmed, Cloud released Sephiroth and quickly pushed the silver-haired man behind him in an effort to protect him. Holding his arms out in a defensive posture, the blond glared defiantly at his friend. "Lower the gun, Vincent."

The attractive man clad in red and black lowered Cerberus a bit, but not completely. "You are being played, Cloud. I do not know what is going on, but it ends here and now."

"You will not shoot him, Vincent. If you dare attempt to harm him, I will cut you down," warned Cloud in a firm, cold sort of voice that proved he meant business. He meant every word of it, too, even though it stung him to have to stand up to one of his friends this way.

The ex-Turk said nothing in reply to that. He frowned as he tried to think of how to proceed from then on. Should he try to convince Cloud to see reason or should he disable the blond just so he could get to Sephiroth? No, he didn't have the heart to hurt his friend since Cloud had been hurt enough as it was. But on a more logical note, it was fairly obvious that Vincent lacked the power to bring down Sephiroth. He knew the only one that could succeed in such an endeavor was Cloud.

"Vincent, I am your friend. Lower you gun and let's talk. Can you do that? If Sephiroth was going to kill you, he would have done it already," Cloud spoke calmly in his best effort to reason with his gunslinger friend.

Cloud had a point there. Sephiroth could have easily snapped his neck or worse, but he hadn't. Instead of taking an insidious route, he had merely disarmed and pinned Vincent down. It would be better to first see what Cloud had to say and then he would judge for himself about what was really going on.

Lowering Cerberus, the ex-Turk tucked the gun safely away, but close enough that he could draw it easily and quickly if he had to. "Fair enough."

"Cloud, who is that man?" Asked Sephiroth after he had studied the dark-haired male silently for a time. Since the threat had passed, he felt curious now about the dangerous stranger.

Cloud readily answered, "A friend of mine. His name is Vincent Valentine."

"Why did he attack me?"

"I'll tell you later. I want you to go wash up, all right?"

Sephiroth looked like he wanted to argue, but he refrained from doing so. He merely nodded at Cloud before coolly glancing at the dark-haired man. Then he turned and reluctantly headed towards the house.

"I know it's weird, Vincent, but you're going to have to trust me. I have a lot to tell you. It's weird and some of it doesn't make sense, but this is no trick. Think you have the time to listen?"

Vincent believed Cloud then. His instincts about people were usually right, especially when they were lying or telling the truth. He saw the old Cloud standing there and even though the situation was…odd, nothing actually seemed amiss here. Nodding, he replied, "Well, listening is what I do best. I'm listening…"

* * *

><p>The ex-Turk stood stock still for the entire hour that his friend took to explain <em>everything<em>. He did not interrupt even when he felt myriads of questions bubbling underneath the surface of his being. The only indication that he gave to Cloud to prove that he was actually actively listening was that he nodded curtly every once in awhile.

Cloud paced back and forth as he confided in his friend. Every now and then he would pull at his hair as he vented. He had surprisingly taken everything well enough in stride up to this point, but now that he had someone to talk to about it all, he suddenly realized how heavy this burden was. He was stressed, stressed to the point that he felt he was about to break.

Vincent didn't fail to notice all the warning signs that Cloud exhibited. It was a good thing he had come when he had. He was relieved that he hadn't decided to wait longer to pay his friend a visit. Something had been bugging him for weeks and he had chosen to finally act on his impulses. Being the wary person that he was, he was not one to act until he was completely certain.

The only option he could see was that his friend needed to have some alone time _away_ from Sephiroth. He then quietly suggested, "Cloud, perhaps you should get away for awhile."

The blond abruptly stopped pacing and stared at Vincent as if he had uttered something ridiculous.

"You're kidding, right? I can't just up and go whenever I feel like it!" Exclaimed Cloud in exasperation. He looked away then sighed as he ran the fingers of one hand through his short spiky hair and muttered, "At least not anymore…"

The ex-Turk was reluctant to voice his next idea, but he couldn't see any other logical choice at the moment. "You could go on Fenrir and drive…wherever. I can stay here, if need be."

"_You_ are going to keep an eye on Seph," deadpanned the blond as he gawked at the dark-haired man in bewilderment. He had never figured Vincent to be a babysitter and he wasn't sure that was a good idea in the least. After all, Sephiroth and Vincent had just had a tussle. No one got seriously hurt, (_thanks to Seph's power and control_) but still, it seemed like a bad idea.

"Yes, I will watch _him_," confirmed Vincent with a slight nod of his head. His voice was as grave as his indifferent looking face.

"But you tried to kill him."

The gunman could hardly see the point. He gestured to Cloud with his clawed hand and rebuffed, "As did you…from what you told me."

Cloud sighed. His stealthy friend had a point. "If I agree to this, you swear you won't hurt him or kill him?"

"You have my word, Cloud."

The blond felt relieved and then slowly nodded his consent. He suddenly looked extremely weary and much older than he actually was.

The relief hastily retreated from Cloud's features the moment he heard Vincent grimly state, "But if I see any trace of the _Jenova_ influence over him, I will have to act accordingly."

"I know."

"Take as long as you need, Cloud."

Cloud cracked a small smile as he replied, "Fine, I'll be back in a week…"

Vincent shook his head. "That isn't funny, Cloud…" 

* * *

><p>Freshly showered and dressed in clean, neat attire, the ex-General stood in his room with the door slightly ajar. His eyes were closed as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Even though Cloud and that Vincent person were in the study with the door closed, Sephiroth could still hear them. Just barely, though. He had to strain his ears and concentrate hard just to make out the words.<p>

Sephiroth was far from thrilled. He wasn't certain what to think about all the information he had just learned, but he knew he didn't like the notion of Cloud driving off and leaving him alone in this house with that…that gun slinging madman.

Cloud had tried to kill him before? _Why?_ Why did Cloud hate him? He didn't remember ever doing anything to warrant such a…negative passion from the smaller male. And what was all this talk about Jenova and why did they both fear he was going to go insane and kill people?

It made absolutely no sense to him.

He felt fine and he didn't want to do anything of that calamitous nature.

All Sephiroth wanted was to be near Cloud and that was it. There was nothing else he could think of that he wanted, but he wasn't so sure now since…

The silver-haired man felt a sharp pang in his chest and an intense pain boiling in his upset stomach. He didn't understand what was going on with his body and absentmindedly wondered if this was what dying felt like. All he knew was that he felt like shit.

Sephiroth's head lowered and his damp hair fanned out around his face to shield it from view. He shuddered and his back slid down the wall until he was sitting down on the ground with his arms propped over his knees. He wasn't aware that he was crying until a few droplets of salty liquid rolled off of his nose and hit the ground at his feet.

Blinking open his eyes, he gingerly touched his wet face with his fingertips in astonishment since this was the first time he had ever cried.

It felt…good and bad at the same time.

Sad thing was that if he could take his memories back from Cloud, he would then come to know that this was the first time in his _entire_ life that he had ever shed tears.

* * *

><p>The blond warrior knocked on the partially open door and when he didn't receive an answer, he pushed the door open and called out, "Seph?"<p>

The larger man was still seated on the floor with his back to the wall. His face was half-buried in his arms and his hair shielded most of his visage. He did not bother to look at Cloud.

"Are you…_mad_?" The blond asked carefully after receiving no answer or recognition of any kind.

"…"

Cloud sighed. "You're mad at me, then. Why?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

"Look at me," commanded the blond in such a steely tone that left little room but to obey.

The taller male raised his head and looked up at the slighter man. It was exceedingly hard to face him and he didn't know why. All he wanted right now was to be alone so that he could go through these…motions without an audience to witness his unexpected misery.

"You were…" trailed off Cloud as he stared at the sight of a visibly upset Sephiroth. It was fairly obvious that the man had been _crying_. Crying! Sephiroth had been crying. It was a hard thing to believe, yet at the same time, Cloud felt unrelenting sympathy for him.

Not being able to keep the eye contact any longer, Sephiroth looked away and glared at the ground. He didn't understand why, but he felt a bizarre mix of anger, sorrow, disgust, and despair. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Curious, mesmerized, and sympathetic, the blond carefully crept closer to the long-haired man. "You were…crying. Why were you crying?"

In a low, bitter voice, Sephiroth spat out, "You **hate** me."

Slowly lowering himself down onto his knees, Cloud knelt in front of Sephiroth. Taking the other man's face in both hands, he forced him to look him square in the eyes. In a voice firm and unyielding, he then declared, "Sephiroth, I do not hate you."

"I _heard_ you…you tried to kill me. You want me dead and so does this Vincent Valentine. You despise me for things I have not done. Things I do not remember doing," snarled Sephiroth as he glared at Cloud. His somewhat slitted pupils became dilated since he was aroused with anger.

Cloud's grip on Sephiroth's face became rough as he dug his fingers into the man's alabaster skin. His eyes looked hard and unforgiving as he glared back at the other man. "Listen to me and know what I say to be truth that I do not hate _you_. I didn't try to kill you. It was _him_. I tried to kill him and I hated him. Not you. You may look like him, but you're not him. I know that now."

"Who…is he?"

The blond sighed and lessened his hold on the other man's face when he had realized he was hurting him again. He rubbed soothing circles on the slightly reddened skin in his own way of apologizing. He was thankful that Sephiroth seemed to lack the ability to bruise. "That is very complicated, Seph. You used to be like him, but then he died, and you were reborn. You are his splitting image, but you are not the same as him. You are _different_."

"What did he do?" Sephiroth asked halfheartedly in an attempt to understand in spite of the part of him that didn't want to know. He was afraid to know.

Cloud sat back on his haunches and dropped his arms so that they were propped over his thighs. He had known that this conversation would take place someday. He had hoped it wouldn't have come this soon, though. "He…went insane. Tried to destroy the planet and ended up killing a lot of people."

"Why?"

"Because his 'mother' told him to. Like I said, it's complicated. It's hard to explain in words, Seph. I'd rather not try, to be honest. I think…I think that you'll get all the answers you need in time. I believe you'll remember everything when the time comes."

Looking down at his hands and wondering just what they have done, Sephiroth then quietly inquired, "What if I don't want to remember it?"

"I don't think you have much of a choice, Seph. If it comes back, it comes back. Amnesia is usually temporary, but there have been cases in which the amnesiac never recovers his or her memory. I wouldn't…well, I wouldn't set my hopes to high, though."

Sephiroth sighed and then stubbornly refuted, "That doesn't change the fact that you hate me."

_Seriously?_ Cloud felt a sudden spark of anger ignite in him and before either of them knew it, he had bodily slammed into the larger man. Mere seconds later, he had grabbed Sephiroth by the face and without hesitation, Cloud had crushed his lips into Sephiroth's partially opened lips. It wasn't a violent kiss, yet it wasn't exactly gentle, either.

In a passionate display fueled by every emotion and feeling that coursed through his being, Cloud _kissed_ Sephiroth.

It only lasted about 10-15 seconds, but for all purposes, that had been enough. Parting for air and to get a word in, Cloud gazed into the other man's stunned face. "I would **never** kiss _him_."

"…" Silently staring back at the blond man in shock, Sephiroth almost felt numb. He felt…well, he didn't know what he felt. It was all melted together to the point that he couldn't tell any of his emotions apart from the other. He wasn't sure what to think or feel about it all, but he did know one thing. He trusted Cloud and believed what he said to be true.

Sephiroth then closed his eyes and felt relief flood through him akin to the feeling of inhaling oxygen after holding his breath for too long. He was struck with a sudden clarification.

Cloud didn't hate him. 

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Thanks a bunches for all the reviews, fav author/story, and author/story alerts. Thanks for reading, too. :3_**


	7. CH06: Comprehension

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight humor, Slight angst, Amnesiac Sephiroth 

* * *

><p>"<em>True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us<em>."-Socrates 

* * *

><p>CH06: Comprehension <p>

Staring blankly at the pages of the open book propped in his lap and held by one hand, Sephiroth found it exceedingly difficult to concentrate on reading. He was stuck rereading the same sentence over and over again. Due to his problem with focusing, the words zoomed through his mind without bothering to sink into his brain. It was like trying to catch water in your hands only to have it slip through the cracks of your fingers.

Why couldn't he focus? It was most likely because of a pair of ruby colored eyes that felt like they were burning holes through the back of his head.

The dark-haired ex-Turk stood motionless across the room watching his enemy's every single move. He never spoke nor made a noise. He just _watched_.

Sephiroth was extremely unnerved by the man and found that his patience was thinning. He felt frustration welling up in him to the point that he had to grit his teeth together in an effort not to snarl. He didn't like this…this babysitter, no, _intruder_, more like. Intruder was a much better description for what this gunman was.

It wasn't easy to just sit there and pretend to read a book that no longer held his interest. The silver-haired man desperately wanted Vincent to leave and longed for Cloud to return to him. This was the first time that he didn't have the blond with him and it was…well, it was unbearable. It _hurt_.

For the first time in many years, Vincent felt nervous. The gunman couldn't even recall the last time he felt such a feeling. He could feel the palms of his hands sweating and it suddenly felt very hot in the room. He wasn't particularly frightened or intimidated by the presence of Sephiroth per se. It was just…watching him sit there and read like a normal, _sane_ person was unbelievable. He kept half expecting the other man to just go berserk by going on a killing spree, but no, Sephiroth was always calm and composed.

It felt like a surreal dream.

The worst of it, though, was how much Sephiroth resembled _her_. He wasn't a carbon copy and he did seem to inherit some physical traits from the one he called "Mother." Nevertheless; Vincent could still spot all of the similarities that the other male shared with his birth mother. It wasn't just his looks; it was also in the way he moved and in the manner that he acted. It was all the subtle things. The way he sat there with the side of his face resting against the top of his hand, the way his eyebrow twitched or arched whenever he read something questionable, and the way he curled his thin lips were all things that tied him to _Lucrecia_.

It had been easy to deny Sephiroth as her son, but now that he saw the former madman in a different light, he could deny it no longer: this was Lucrecia's child.

What stung him the most was the fact that Vincent _could_ have been Sephiroth's father. If he had been the father, then perhaps everything would not have transpired the way it had. Maybe they all would have been happy, but no, he knew it was folly to think like this. Things could have turned out worse for them if he had sired Sephiroth. Or maybe better. There really was no way of knowing.

The blame for all the atrocious events had always rested on Sephiroth's shoulders, but in truth, the blame belonged to many people. It was Hojo's fault. It was Jenova's fault. It was also Lucrecia's fault and yes, Vincent knew he was to blame as well.

The longer he stared at his ex-lover's son, the more he began to see that Sephiroth had been a victim. Yes, he had been a victim that had been methodically built into a psychotic monster by his own biological father and by an alien entity.

It was more comfortable to label him as a monster than to think that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't necessarily evil. He was an insane man who had perceived himself as a rightful god. He had believed that what he had been doing was right and logical. He hadn't believed himself to be insane, evil, or wrong. That made some sense, though, since insane people don't know that they're insane. They don't know nor understand that what they're doing is wrong and that they're hurting anyone.

In truth, anyone could go mad at any time by pretty much anything. Most people tended to believe that evil and madness walked hand in hand. The difference between evil and insane people is that evil people know what they're doing is wrong whereas crazy people _don't _know what they're doing is wrong.

Vincent had had a lot of time to think about everything. Like Cloud, he had immersed himself in steeped guilt and had drowned himself in troubling, maddening thoughts of Sephiroth. Of everything that had led up to METEROR.

That's how he was. He was a tragic, solitary man that kept to himself and brooded in the shadows. But unlike Cloud, he did not isolate himself completely from his comrades. He at least popped around every now and then to check on how they were all doing.

Still, Vincent didn't know anything to be certain, though. The very observant gunman had his own opinions, but that didn't really give voice to any solid, hard facts. Even though he was starting to see the other man in a different light, he still couldn't trust Sephiroth just yet. Old habits always died hard and he was dying very hard at the moment by the way he watched his old adversary's every move and by the way his hand itched to use Cerberus.

Sephiroth had been crazed and psychotic as a result of a sequence of events that most of them had all dealt a hand in. The blame lay with both the dead and the living, but it seemed to weigh heavier with the survivors. And Vincent knew that Cloud was one of them. He knew that the blond burdened himself with so much anguish and guilt that it was just plain ridiculous.

If Sephiroth was truly amnesiac as Cloud claimed he was, then Vincent couldn't help but wonder _what_ Sephiroth was going to do when he finally remembered. Would the man feel pain and guilt like Cloud regularly did, or would he feel the opposite?

Only time would tell. 

* * *

><p>"Can I help you?" Snapped Sephiroth after enduring several hours of Vincent's stare-a-thon. A few minutes before he had broken the silence, Sephiroth had carefully marked the page with a bookmark and placed it on the coffee table.<p>

"…" Vincent didn't move.

"You don't say much, do you?" Sighed the green-eyed man after a few moments of strange silence.

"…" The ex-Turk was tempted to smile, but he didn't, of course. Instead, he merely offered him more silence.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" Ground out Sephiroth after a couple more of awkward minutes of silence. He could feel the tension in the air, but strangely enough, the gunman wasn't the one radiating it. What had changed?

"I'm _babysitting_ you," Vincent spoke dryly as he continued to regard the other man. A moment or two later in a barely audible voice, he added, "It's not like there's anything else to look at that's remotely interesting."

Sephiroth clenched his hands into tight fists when he had heard him speak the first part, but before he could retort, he heard the word '_interesting'_ uttered. As soon as he heard that word, he blanched visibly while he felt red hot pain spike up in his chest like dozens of needles stabbing him. Confusing, terrifying images sped through his mind in a matter of seconds. Images, images of men in white coats, white sterile walls, and stainless steel tables flashed through his brain with disturbing familiarity.

The green-eyed man felt wave after wave of anger, confusion, trepidation, and anxiety brutally assault him without reprieve.

Still seated in the chair, he hastily bent over and breathed sharply through his mouth as he panted long and hard while feeling the nausea build up. His body shook from the convulsions with relentless tenacity. Was he having a heart attack, or just going crazy? He didn't know. He was forced to cling to himself as he desperately wondered what was happening and why.

Sephiroth was suffering from some sort of panic attack that was triggered by something specific. That much Vincent could figure, however, he didn't know _why_.

Rooted to his spot, the dark-haired gunman suddenly wished he had not sent Cloud away. He knew what he should do, but this was _Sephiroth_. That man wasn't like anyone else.

"Sephiroth, listen to me. You need to calm down. I am not going to hurt you. No, not anymore," promised Vincent in his best soothing sort of voice as he approached the other man with nimble, cautious steps. He didn't want to run or sneak up on him lest he surprise the man. He suspected that might cause a violent and undesired reaction on both of their parts. The ex-General may seem changed and non-threatening now, but he was still labeled as unpredictable and possibly dangerous in the ex-Turk's book.

Said man didn't seem to notice Vincent at all. He remained leant over and hugging his thighs to his chest as he trembled and shook. The pupils of his cat-like eyes were dilated to the point that they were almost round and normal looking like a human's.

As he watched Sephiroth, something occurred to Vincent. Perhaps this was exactly how Sephiroth reacted in the Shinra mansion after he had read _that_ journal. Maybe he was remembering everything now and going batshit crazy again. But no, he didn't know. It was best he kept it as a possible explanation in the back of his mind for now. He would get his answers soon enough. The last thing he wanted to do was do something stupid and have Cloud be pissed at him.

"Sephiroth, can you hear me?" Vincent murmured in an effort to divert his attention. He was hesitant to touch the man. But what could he do? He had to think of something and something fast. But what? What did Cloud do to…oh wait; didn't Cloud call him something, like a sort of pet name? Oh, right. "Seph? Seph, are you ok?"

As if by magic or instant cure, Sephiroth abruptly snapped out of it. He stopped shaking and panting as he slowly rose up to an upright position. Even his slit-like eyes were back to normal, well, normal for him. In a calm voice devoid of emotion, he quietly inquired, "Yes…?"

Not sure what to make of this, yet, Vincent watched with careful eyes. He didn't want to let the relief flood him until he was certain that Sephiroth wasn't bonkers. "How…how do you feel?"

Sephiroth shrugged, rolled his eyes, and then hissed, "Why do you care?"

Relieved, yet not thrilled at the other man's sour attitude, Vincent offered nothing in reply. Sephiroth's despondent, snippy behavior wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, but if he had been in Sephiroth's boots, he might react the same way to someone who had previously attempted to shoot him dead.

* * *

><p>An hour and forty-six minutes later, a very restless and agitated Sephiroth paced back and forth like a caged animal. He was bored out of his mind and was tempted to pull out all of his hair. The only reason he didn't actually attempt to do such an act was because he knew Cloud liked his hair. That and he liked it when Cloud played with it.<p>

It also didn't help that the only other living thing he had to talk to merely gawked at him, yet refused to speak much. True, he wasn't a very verbal person himself, but still. He needed _something_. He needed Cloud. Damn, everything always seemed to lead his thoughts back to Cloud.

Sephiroth decided that he didn't like this stranger. This _Vincent_. Well, he had already had that notion decided hours ago, but the more time he spent being stared at, the more frustrated he felt himself becoming. If only he could get away from here and be somewhere else. Somewhere where he actually recognized someone that wasn't hostile.

And then it hit him. _Hana_.

Perhaps he could somehow get to Schönnbach. Cloud had taken him there a few times already and he didn't hate it there. The people mostly kept to themselves, but weren't unfriendly. The friendliest of them was a kid called Hana. She was relentless whenever they dropped by and she'd follow them everywhere pestering them both with all sorts of questions. Cloud never seemed annoyed and put up with her without effort, it seemed.

Hana was, well, she was kind of annoying, but she was the only other person Sephiroth knew. That and she had somewhat grown on him to the point that he could tolerate all her asinine questions and comments. It wasn't so bad, really.

And maybe, maybe Cloud was with her there in that little town.

There was just one problem. He had to somehow get there by means of transportation. Walking would take too long for his liking. But if he had to, he would. He would do anything to get away from this place and away from this man who irked him so.

Sephiroth sighed before he turned his attention to the dark-haired man. In a quiet, but firm voice, he beckoned, "Vincent."

"Oh, so you know my name. _Congratulations_," dryly remarked Vincent.

Gritting his teeth behind closed lips, Sephiroth felt his teeth slowly grind together. It didn't feel pleasant at all. Be that as it may, he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere if he sank to Vincent's level by insulting him back.

"I assume you have some means of transportation, yes?" Asked Sephiroth in a neutral tone of voice.

Vincent arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps."

"I want to go to Schönnbach."

"That's nice," drawled the dark-haired gunman.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and then crossed his arms over his chest. He was far from amused. "Is it, now?"

"Yes."

Feeling his patience snap at that one word, Sephiroth then briskly strode past the other man. Walking out of the room, he then traveled down the hallway until he reached the front door. Jerking it open a bit too roughly, he slammed it behind him as he marched outside. He wasn't about to take this shit any longer.

Vincent sighed. It figured. Just when he was getting comfortable where he was.

Pushing off of the wall, the ex-Turk casually made his way outside in pursuit of the green-eyed male.

"Sephiroth, _where_ are you going?"

"That doesn't concern you. Leave me be!" Snapped the silver-haired ex-General as he started walking down the road. Even if he didn't reach Schönnbach, he didn't care. As long as he was doing something _away_ from Vincent, he was fine with it.

"I think it does. I'm supposed to watch you."

"I don't need to be watched by the likes of you. Leave me alone," Sephiroth vehemently hissed as he followed the road. He didn't falter in his steps. If anything, he walked even faster. He didn't need to look behind to know that he was being followed.

Then suddenly, the quiet steps several feet behind him stopped. A moment or two later, they started again, but in the opposite direction. It sounded like the gunman was returning back to the house. Good.

However, Sephiroth's relief didn't last long since a minute or two later, the sound of a quiet vehicle drove up to him. It pulled up beside him and kept up with him. He didn't look. Keeping his eyes trained ahead, he ignored the driver.

The window rolled down as if by its own accord. A familiar, yet unwelcome voice drifted out. "Sephiroth, get in the car."

"I'd rather not," Sephiroth said stiffly as he continued looking ahead.

Vincent then affirmed in a steeled sort of voice that could make just about anyone shiver. "I'm not asking."

Sephiroth then drawled out, "That's nice."

Narrowing his red eyes, the gunman was almost amused by the fact that Sephiroth had made him eat his own words. Really, this boy reminded him too much of himself in his younger days before Hojo had turned the ex-Turk into a monster.

"Get. In. The. Vehicle. _Now_." Vincent ground out when his patience had finally withered away. He couldn't help feeling slightly fond, yet highly annoyed by the younger man. If he had been a less controlled person, he would have laughed. Sephiroth was acting like a rebellious, disobedient child and Vincent, well, he was acting like he was his father.

Sephiroth continued walking as if he hadn't heard him. His hands were buried in his pockets as he walked and he even looked towards the horizon as if it captivated him.

The vehicle that Vincent was driving was actually a gift from his friend, Cid Highwind. Cid had built it specifically to suit the Ex-Turk's needs. It primarily had two different functions: to drive _and_ to fly. Yes, it could alter its shape enough so that it could actually take off the ground and fly a great distance. It also had four wheel drive so that if need be, Vincent could travel over pretty much any kind of landscape. It also had a weapons system, which consisted of a couple of missile launchers and automatic guns. It packed enough of a punch to dissuade thieves and the like.

The car itself was a neutral tone of color, a grayish color, so that it didn't stand out and could camouflage with most things. It could also transport at least up to six people of average height and weight. The controls were both manual and automatic in case the power wasn't working and because of personal preference. All in all, it was highly efficient and served its purpose very well.

However, it did not have a name and Vincent wasn't about to name it. It was just a reliable car to him. Nothing more and nothing less.

Putting the vehicle on autopilot, Vincent slid over to the passenger seat, slid the door open and grabbed Sephiroth by the arm. In a red and black flash, he swiftly yanked him inside and slammed the door. Then he slid back into the driver's seat and pressed the automatic door lock so that Sephiroth wouldn't get any funny ideas about escaping out of a moving vehicle.

In spite of that, the stubborn ex-General tried to open the door, yet it was all in vain. His efforts were met with dejected failure. After a few minutes, he crossed his arms and leaned back in the seat. Turning his head, he looked at Vincent and glared daggers at him while he visibly seethed.

"I'm not letting you out anytime soon. Get used to it," Vincent quietly intoned after a few minutes of feeling the other man's intense gaze burn into him.

Slouching in the seat, Sephiroth looked out the window as the vehicle zoomed on by. He was surprised. It didn't even feel like they were traveling very fast at all. Everything was a blur and there wasn't much to see except for the mid-afternoon sky.

Eventually Sephiroth's anger dissipated and he fell into a light doze.

* * *

><p>"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Asked Hana as she tossed a few pebbles at some random, half crushed soda can.<p>

Sephiroth lazily shrugged. He was sitting on a bench next to the little girl in some park. There were a few kids playing at the playground and he watched them as if what they were doing was actually remarkable to him. He absentmindedly wondered if he had ever been just like them by playing outside in a playground. And if he did, he wondered if he played with anyone else.

"Seph…does anyone ever pick on you?" Hana asked after several long minutes of silence. She used the toe of her shoe to prod around a broken piece of a loose brick.

"What do you mean?" Curious, the ex-General tore his eyes away from the playing children to look at the girl beside him.

Hana didn't look at him at all as she replied in a small voice, "You know, like laugh at you, call you names, throw stuff at you, hit you, make fun of you. You know, stuff like that."

"Why would someone pick on me?"

"I dunno…'cause you're _different_? You don't look like anyone else. I've never seen anyone with hair…or eyes like you. You're also prettier than most girls, too, to boot."

"I see. Why are you asking me this?"

"Just…curious," the red-head answered as if that weren't the real reason. She was staring downcast at the ground as if ashamed by something.

After a moment or two, Sephiroth sighed and then said, "No, no one picks on me."

"Oh. Well…if someone did, what would you do?"

Sephiroth had to think about that for a moment. No matter how many ideas he produced in his brain, he honestly didn't know. As far as he knew, he had never been bullied by anyone. Since he suffered from amnesia, there was no way for him to know what he would actually do regarding a situation like that.

Finally settling on an answer, the silver-haired man shrugged. "I do not know."

"Oh…"

Several more minutes of silence passed. The girl could stay quiet for awhile, but she tended to get easily bored and distracted. As she swayed around on the bench, her brown eyes darted around as if looking for something to distract her from her boredom. Sure enough, she found something all right.

"Seph, who's _that_ guy?" Whispered Hanna after she had leaned close to Sephiroth so that no one else overheard her.

"A nuisance."

"Haha, that's funny!" Hana giggled as she stole a glance or two at the dark-haired man who stood about twenty-five feet away from them. She then noticed something peculiar. "He keeps watching ya. It's kinda creepy."

"Just ignore him," sighed Sephiroth as he leaned back against the bench. He had been a tad bit disappointed to find out that Cloud wasn't in town, but he hadn't been surprised. He didn't know where Cloud was or what he was doing, but he could still _feel_ him. If Cloud were close, he'd feel it.

"No, really, who is he? He your _boyfriend_?" Asked Hana in half-jest as she nudged him teasingly with her elbow. She pouted when he didn't seem to play along with her joke. This guy was so serious and quiet most of the time, but she still liked him.

Sephiroth snorted, "He is nothing to me. His name is Vincent and he is a friend of Cloud's."

"I wonder how many friends Cloud has…since he usually comes here alone. You're the first one I've met, actually. I'm glad he has you."

The silver-haired amnesiac looked down at the girl and inquired, "Why do you say that?"

Hana leaned slightly against Sephiroth and he allowed it. Her brown eyes were half-hooded and she looked a bit sleepy. "He's not lonely anymore, that's why."

Sephiroth nodded, yet otherwise said nothing else. He sat there in thoughtful silence watching the sun slowly descend as the red-haired girl slept against him. He didn't mind so much. It was probably because the girl slightly reminded him of his Cloud in some way.

Against his will, he slightly shook her awake. It would be dark soon.

* * *

><p>On the way back to Cloud's little Chocobo ranch, both men were quiet. Not a single word had been uttered since the afternoon. The sky was pitch black now with twinkling stars and a lonely, glowing moon. All was silent.<p>

Vincent had been astounded to see Sephiroth with that girl, Hana. Their interaction had been quite odd to witness. He didn't know what he had expected, but it wasn't _that_. Perhaps Cloud was right about there being more to Sephiroth than meets the eye. There were dimensions of him that the gunman hadn't expected to see. He was slowly unraveling each layer and wasn't sure what to think of it just yet.

On another note, after they had arrived in Schönnbach, he had tried calling Cloud. The blond didn't bother to pick up of course. It was a rare occasion when Cloud actually answered and even rarer for him to call back. It was damn frustrating at times.

The ex-Turk had been forced to leave a voicemail which was short and to the point. He had called just to let Cloud know that he had taken Sephiroth to that town. He didn't want his friend to think that something bad had happened.

Pulling to a stop near the house, Vincent shut off the engine and unlocked the doors. He then stepped out of the car and didn't even need to look to know that Sephiroth had exited as well.

There was a wary look on Sephiroth's face. He wouldn't go near the house. The ex-General just stood there as if something had compelled him to.

Walking around the vehicle to get a better look, Vincent came to stand beside Sephiroth. He turned his gaze to look at what Sephiroth was staring at.

It was Cloud. And he looked beyond _pissed_. 

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, author/story alerts, and fav author/story. Your reviews are always appreciated and if you login to review, or leave an e-mail address, I will always respond to them. With that being said, thanks for your patience. I know it's been awhile. Also, next chapter should have more Cloud action, I promise. :3


	8. CH07: Vehemence

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight humor, Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth

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><p>"<em>Man is free; yet we must not suppose that he is at liberty to do everything he pleases, for he becomes a slave the moment he allows his actions to be ruled by passion<em>."-Giacomo Casanova

* * *

><p>CH07: Vehemence<p>

Shutting off Fenrir, Cloud gingerly eased himself off of the bike. He felt sore and stiff from riding Fenrir for several hours nonstop, but he cherished the feeling nonetheless.

Rolling his stiff, tight shoulders, Cloud glanced around almost warily.

It was too quiet.

Surveying the area again, he noticed that Vincent's vehicle was _gone_. Odd…

Slightly alarmed by this, the blond hurried inside the house. It was even quieter once he was inside the unlit dwelling.

"Seph? Vincent? Where are you? Seph!" Cloud called out as he strode briskly throughout his silent, lifeless house.

No answer.

Beginning to fear the worst, Cloud felt panic bubbling up in of him, but he did not let it show. On the outside, his pale face looked icily neutral. _Apathetic_.

Not finding them inside the residence, Cloud rushed back outside as if he might have missed them somehow. Scanning his surroundings, the blond found nothing in his line of sight. He then called out their names again several times, each time louder. But it was in vain.

Cursing a storm, he would have put Cid to shame had the pilot been around to witness such an uncharacteristic, albeit slightly humorous act.

Pacing back and forth like a caged beast, Cloud felt his skin heat up unbearably as his stomach knotted up and his chest constricted to the point that it hurt.

Quickly running his hands through his hay-colored spikes, Cloud paced even faster. He didn't know what to do. A few dozen grimy, nasty scenarios flashed through his mind in a matter of seconds. That line of thinking didn't seem to help him at all.

Gripping his hair tightly in violent fistfuls, he nearly pulled out his own hair in frustration. _What should he do? Where the hell were they? And why did they just…leave? Did something happen? Maybe Seph finally snapped or maybe Vincent went against his word…_

And then it was at that moment that Cloud realized something: his _cell phone_.

In his panic, he had forgotten to check it. The first thing he should have done was call Vincent. _Idiot_…

Fishing his neglected phone out of the pocket of his pants, cloud was about to look at it when he felt a slight vibration in the ground. He then heard something quiet, yet obviously mechanic approaching fast, yet cautiously. It looked like Vincent's car.

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, the blond stood immobile while he watched warily as the car got closer. It didn't take him long until he had to squint his eyes since the headlights were too bright for his sensitive, enhanced blue eyes.

Cloud impatiently waited as the car ultimately stopped and then shut off. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot and unclenching and clenching his fists. _C'mon, c'mon…_

The first person to step out of the stationary automobile was Sephiroth.

The blond instantly felt relief _and_ happiness flood through him like water bursting through a cracked dam. The silver-haired man wasn't dead nor did he appear injured. If anything, he looked bored and sleepy. But all in all, what was truly important was that Seph was all right.

Sephiroth froze on the spot when he locked eyes with the shorter male.

As soon as Vincent stepped out, Cloud's relief and joy morphed into mixed feelings of anger, betrayal, and hurt. He was fucking pissed now, if the feeling of red hot anger coursing through him was any indication of it.

Cloud was pissed, but even that was an understatement.

* * *

><p>The ex-Turk didn't need to have eyes to conclude that there was a problem. His friend was angry, no, enraged, by the looks and feel of it. He hadn't seen Cloud this angry since…well, since all those years ago when they were chasing after <em>Sephiroth. <em>And all those other times, Cloud's rage had been directed at the ex-General, and certainly not at him or anyone else.

It didn't take a genius or a madman to figure out that Cloud was pissed at him. The dark-haired man wasn't a stranger to anger. For a very long time, he himself had been burdened with so much rage and hatred that it seemed to have consumed him completely. After all, anyone who had suffered under Hojo's cruel experimentations would have felt the very same things themselves. It didn't help that Vincent shared his body with demons and especially with one called Chaos that liked to fight him for control. Fortunately, Vincent had a strong will and had learned to keep that beast at bay.

Vincent wasn't afraid. No, there wasn't much these days that could make him tremble or even blink an eye. Yet that didn't mean he wasn't concerned or wary of his friend. The fact that he had come all this way was proof enough that he did care and that he was concerned.

The ruby-eyed man chose to remain silent. His instincts told him to wait, and not to say or do anything stupid. He was treading on very dangerous ground right now and he knew it.

Upon closer inspection, the raven-haired male noticed something peculiar. Something about Cloud was very off. His stance was very aggressive and almost primal as if he were about to defend his territory. Even his eyes were quite strange. The irises were brighter than normal and the pupils were enlarged to the point that it made him resemble a wolf.

"Sephiroth. Get. Over. Here. _Now_," ground out Cloud in a clipped, low tone that left no room for discussion. He didn't remove his eyes from Vincent, but he did motion with one hand for the tallest of the three to move.

The green-eyed man felt pinpricks of irritation at being ordered around like a child. Being _baby-sat _by Vincent as if he were a mere child had put him in sour spirits and now Cloud was treating him the same way. He didn't like it. It wasn't bravery or stupidity that spurred his next action. He felt…rebellious now. He then narrowed his eyes and declared, "No."

The blond narrowed his eyes, too. He stepped forward one step and looked like he might leap over and bite Sephiroth in the neck. Only, he didn't. He turned his bright-eyed feral gaze on the ex-General and then growled out, "Don't try me, Sephiroth. I'm not in the mood. Get your ass over here _now_."

Whatever rebellious streak that had been festering in the silver-haired man seemed to disappear completely. Not liking it, but deciding it was the best choice, Sephiroth slowly slinked over to the shorter male. Once he was close enough, the blond grabbed him by the upper arm and jerked him behind Cloud so fast as if he were a woman or piece of property.

Even though he was miffed at being manhandled like that, another part of Sephiroth was strangely _enjoying_ the rough, alpha-like treatment. Cloud was normally nothing like this. He was always firm, yet patient with him. He didn't know what to think about this and thought it best if he kept quiet for now. The silver-haired male knew he had tested Cloud enough for one day.

Nothing was said and no one moved for several long minutes.

* * *

><p>It was Cloud who chose to break the silence. "Seph, have you eaten anything?"<p>

"No," quietly murmured Sephiroth from his position half behind the blond. He hadn't dared to move an inch, yet.

"Open the right saddlebag on Fenrir. There should be a white box in there. I want you to take it, go inside the house, and eat what it contains. Understood?"

The silver-haired male nodded slowly. He didn't really want to move since he wanted to see what Cloud was going to do to Valentine. Yes, he had taken to calling Vincent by his last name. For whatever reasons, he refused to call him Vincent. It sounded too…_friendly_.

"Go now," sharply ordered Cloud when the man behind him hadn't budged.

Nodding curtly, Sephiroth did as he was told. He strode over to the bike and opened the saddlebag. It didn't take him long to find the white box. It looked strange to him, yet familiar. Something he couldn't quite remember. Picking it up, he scrutinized it closely, but nothing came to him. Sighing, he closed the bag and reluctantly made his way into the house with the little box in tow.

Once he was certain that Sephiroth was out of earshot, Cloud trained his bright blue eyes on his longtime friend. His voice matched his eyes in the way that it resembled steel. "I don't even know what to say to you, Vincent."

"Cloud," sighed the gunman.

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing happened. He's fine," replied Vincent in a weary tone. He wasn't in the mood for a lecture and he wasn't about to spit out excuses.

Cloud crossed his strong arms over his well-developed chest. In the years away from his friends, he had filled out and gained a more powerful build; however, he would always be shorter than most of his male friends.

"Where did you take him?"

The ex-Turk was tempted to roll his eyes. _Oh, here we go. Interrogation time._ "He wanted to go to Schönnbach. He was going to walk there, so I took him there."

"Why didn't you contact me?"

"I tried. You didn't answer. I left a message," replied Vincent who finished the sentence in his head, _as usual._

"What does that tell you?"

"…" Vincent said nothing. He had a feeling he wasn't actually supposed to answer that question.

"That tells you not to fucking go anywhere, dammit. That tells you to wait for me to call you back, or to wait until I return. For Gaia's sake, you could have left a fucking note on the door or something," ground out Cloud in a low, angry voice that was steadily rising in pitch.

"I did not think of that, Cloud," honestly answered Vincent. He really hadn't, though. At the time he was more concerned about not losing sight of Sephiroth. The man was unpredictable and Gaia only knows what he could do. During that time, Vincent had been too preoccupied with keeping Sephiroth in his line of vision lest something snatch him up or he burst out a wing and flew off. There was no telling what could have happened.

In a flat tone, Cloud repeated, "You did not think of that."

"…"

The anger seemed to simmer down a bit as the blond took a few moments to close his eyes and breathe. When he was calmer, he then chose to speak, "I appreciate what you tried to do, and for keeping Seph safe, but I don't think you understand."

"Enlighten me then."

"Sephiroth is _mine_. He is not yours and not that bitch's. He belongs to me and with me only. I am responsible for him in every way. I'm warning you right now, Vincent: The next time you do something stupid and reckless, I will not hesitate to cut you down," proclaimed Cloud in his deadly, somber promise. He meant every single word of it.

This was the second time today that Vincent had been surprised by something. He didn't know what to say in reply to that. What could you say about your friend promising to kill you if you make another mistake? Something was wrong with Cloud. He was not completely himself. It seemed that Sephiroth had a hold over him that not even someone like the ex-Turk could understand.

Vincent let an inaudible sigh pass his lips. He knew that he had been in the wrong and that most of what Cloud had said had been right. He didn't understand the nature of Cloud's relationship with their enemy, well, supposedly ex-enemy, but he would have to accept it for now.

"I apologize, Cloud," said Vincent and he meant it.

Most of the tension and the anger seemed to disperse after that. The blond nodded slowly before turning his gaze back to the house. He started to walk towards it, but after a few moments, he stopped. "You are welcome to stay here, Vincent. As a guest. I'm sure you know where the guest room is…"

"Thank you. I may stay a couple of days, if you don't mind."

Cloud looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "You can stay longer than that, Vincent. I may have just chewed you out, but that doesn't mean you're not my friend."

As soon as the blond had entered the house and was out of sight, Vincent smiled. 

* * *

><p>Sephiroth sat at the dinner table and stared down into the contents of the box. He recognized some of the contents. There was some fried chicken, some stir fried rice, and something that looked like beans. There was also some round, scaly object that smelled weird. It was rolled up with some other things. He didn't know what to make of it, so he ignored it for the time being and focused on eating the other food items that he could identify. He was by no means a picky eater, but he liked to know what he was putting into his mouth before he tried it.<p>

Once he was finished with everything else, the silver-haired man eyed the roll again. He picked it up and scrutinized it closely. Whatever it was, Cloud wanted him to eat it and he knew the blond would be cross with him if he didn't at least try it.

Pursing his thin lips, Sephiroth glared at the thing as if it were the cause of all his problems. Giving himself a mental pep talk, he inhaled and then exhaled deeply before he finally took a small bite of the offending thing.

It was…odd. He didn't hate it, per se, but the texture was weird. It tasted uncooked and tasted suspiciously like fish. Sephiroth didn't hate fish or seafood, but he wasn't sure he liked eating any meat raw. That and the texture of this raw fish felt all wrong to him. In spite of his slight disgust, he finished it all. Thank Gaia there was only one and it was small, too.

Picking up the empty paper white box, he carried it to the trash and threw it away. He was somewhat of a neat freak and didn't like to leave any mess anywhere for long no matter how small it was. He even cleaned up after Cloud when the blond left a can or plate here and there. Cloud wasn't messy nor was he lazy, but the problem being was that he didn't automatically put anything where it should be. He liked to take his time and get around it. Thing was, Sephiroth was the opposite. He liked having everything orderly and promptly taken care of.

Some days ago, Cloud had told him to relax and had muttered something about him being anal retentive. That he should loosen up some and stop being a tightwad.

Sephiroth didn't quite agree with that and accused Cloud of being too "loose" and that if he wanted to be that way, fine, but Sephiroth wasn't going to be loose like him.

Perhaps it was the way he had said it, or just the words, but a strange look had come over Cloud. He had then muttered something under his breath and hurried out of the room.

Sephiroth stared down at the receptacle a moment before he closed it. He shook his head with a slight smile. It would seem the only memories he could recall these days were of Cloud.

* * *

><p>Leaned back against the tub with his long, strong arms draped over the edges of the bathtub, Sephiroth stared up at the ceiling. The hot, fragrant water made him feel lethargic. He didn't feel compelled to move, so he didn't.<p>

Closing his green eyes, he thought about nothing as he drifted into some strange state that wasn't quite sleep. Many minutes passed, yet to him they felt like mere seconds.

He was drifting off to sleep, but before he knew it, he felt a hand on his face. Jerking awake, he looked up to see a pair of bright blue eyes. Sighing, he visibly relaxed and leaned his face into that hand. "Cloud."

"Having trouble there, Seph? You're supposed to wash up, not sleep here," chided Cloud with a half smile. It was always fun to get on the other man's nerves.

"Oh, shut up," grumbled Sephiroth as he sat up.

"What's wrong? Is Sephy gwumpy?"

"You're the one who's grumpy, not me," corrected Sephiroth who stared at the other male from the corners of his eyes. He crossed his arms and then quickly added, "And don't call me _that_."

"I'm not mad anymore, Seph," sighed Cloud as he knelt beside the tub. He reached over to touch Sephiroth's hair. "And I was never angry with you. Got it?"

"I know."

"Good…now are you going to finish up here? I'm tired and would like to sleep sometime tonight while it's still, you know, dark out."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you in your sleep."

"I know, but I prefer to sleep when I know you're taken care of. I can't rest until I know you're all right. Get it now?"

The silver-haired man sniffed the air when that same distinct scent of dirt, oil, metal, and grease reached his nostrils. He wrinkled his nose and pointed out, "You _smell_. You're not going to bed smelling like that. You should get washed up, too."

"I guess you're right," Cloud replied sheepishly. He then stood up and was about to walk out, but was stopped when a strong hand had wrapped around his forearm in an iron grip. He turned his head and looked down at the very naked, yet bubble-covered Sephiroth. "What now? I can't take a shower if you're clinging to me, Seph."

"Don't waste the water. Just take your clothes off and get in the tub."

Cloud bit his bottom lip. "I don't…think that's such a good idea."

Sephiroth blinked. "Why not?"

"Fine. Scoot up, then," conceded a weary Cloud who then proceeded to remove articles of his clothing. He felt somewhat self-conscious when he noticed that Sephiroth was lazily watching him. Focusing on something else, he then said as an afterthought, "I guess I'll wash your back."

Sephiroth nodded and slowly scooted over towards the faucet until there was more than enough room for Cloud to fit in. Thank Gaia the bathtub was big enough to fit them both comfortably.

Once Cloud was stripped bare, he stepped into the bathtub behind Sephiroth and gingerly sank into the blissfully hot water. It felt deliriously good on his sore, taut muscles. He had almost forgotten what his purpose was until he heard the other man cough.

"Oh, right, sorry," mumbled Cloud who reached over and scooped up clumps of Sephiroth's soaked hair, which insisted on stubbornly clinging to his backside. When all of the hair was hanging over his left shoulder, the blond ran his hand down Seph's backside. He noted how the flesh seemed to melt under his fingertips.

"You're going to need this," said Sephiroth who handed Cloud a clean washcloth that had yet to touch a drop of water.

Soaking the washcloth and then adding some body wash to it, Cloud lathered it up really well before he started scrubbing at the other man's back. He focused or tried to, on working on getting him clean and tried not to notice the close proximity of the naked ex-General.

Cloud worked over every inch of skin from the lower back to the upper back, and even to the shoulders. He ran the cloth down over each of Sephiroth's motionless arms. He didn't notice how close the ex-General was to him until he felt the man's back press against his chest. Slightly surprised, yet not put off by this, Cloud chose to take advantage of this by running the cloth over the exposed skin of Seph's neck.

Sephiroth's eyes were closed, but he was by no means actually asleep. He looked tranquil and soothed as if he were enjoying Cloud's ministrations with the washcloth. It never ceased to amaze Cloud how simple little touches from him could completely relax Sephiroth until he was in some sort of trance.

The blond man rubbed the washcloth over Sephiroth's collarbone in lazy, incongruent circles. He started to drag the cloth down lower until he was scrubbing lightly over the man's broad chest. The cloth _accidentally _brushed against one of Sephiroth's nipples, which caused him to gasp. He arched back against Cloud and his head lolled onto the blond man's shoulder.

Intrigued by the reaction, the blond slid the cloth over to the other nipple and just as "accidentally" ran it over the other neglected nub. The ex-General gasped again and continued to arch his back as if seeking more contact with the washcloth.

Cloud nuzzled the silver-haired man's neck as his hand slowly drew lazy circles down over washboard abs. He paid special detail to each abdominal muscle as if each one needed special attention. It didn't take long until he reached the taller man's hairless navel. Everything about Sephiroth's body was smooth and hairless save for the patch of silver curls that was hidden by the bubbles that floated above the water.

The nuzzling to Sephiroth's neck turned into ghost-like kisses that made the man groan and squirm slightly. Encouraged by his reaction, Cloud's light kissing turned deeper with a bit more of suck and bite to it that had the silver-haired man moaning low in his throat. If he didn't stop now, things could get out of hand. But he couldn't help it since Sephiroth smelled so divine and tasted even better.

The blond inched his hand lower and lower until it disappeared beneath the surface of the water.

Cloud abruptly stopped.

"_Cloud_." 


	9. CH08: Misconception

Let Him In 

Chapter warning(s): Language, Slight humor, Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth 

* * *

><p>"<em>How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart<em>."-William Butler Yeats 

* * *

><p>CH08: Misconception <p>

Cloud was horrified.

Not only was he sitting naked and painfully aroused in a bathtub with his former enemy, but he was _molesting_ him! He was doing what he told himself many times he would never do. Where had his control gone? He didn't know, but it had slipped away so easily. He was having moments like these more and more. It disturbed him.

Sephiroth was stock still and unmoving. While he enjoyed the ministrations to his body, he was very, very confused. This was the first time that Cloud had ever touched him in such a way. He didn't hate it, it was just…odd. It wasn't like Cloud at all. It kind of felt like that _kiss_. That kiss he had been secretly thinking about all day.

Unaware of the ex-General's thoughts, the blond quickly removed his hands and hopped out of the bathtub. He grabbed a nearby towel, wrapped it around his waist and swiftly left the bathroom without another word. The blond couldn't even bring himself to look at Sephiroth as he departed.

Sitting alone in the now tepid bath water, Sephiroth blinked slowly. What had he done wrong? Had he done something to upset Cloud? He didn't know what he had done wrong, but it obviously had been something.

He was unsettled to the point that all he did was sit there in the water and brood. The silver-haired man sat unmoving in the water until it turned ice cold. 

* * *

><p>The blond had left earlier to not only resolve his little problem, but to quickly get clean in the shower in the spare bathroom. Once he was clean and no longer hot and bothered, he sat in his bedroom waiting for Sephiroth.<p>

Nearly two hours passed and Sephiroth had still not left the bathroom.

Even though Cloud was beyond exhausted, his concern for the other man urged him to seek him out.

Once the blond had reached the bathroom, he stopped at the door, inhaled deeply, and opened the door. He peeked inside and was shocked to find that the ex-General was still sitting in the water in the same exact position he had left him in.

Seph looked like a lost, lonely child brooding over the tragic loss of his parents. It tugged at Cloud's heartstrings and made him feel increasingly guilty.

"Seph?"

Sephiroth didn't answer or move. He just sat there and stared unblinkingly at nothing.

Sighing, the blond knelt down on the floor near the silver-haired man. He almost tentatively reached out and touched the other on the shoulder. "Seph? Are you ok?"

Sephiroth lowered his gaze to the water and mumbled so quietly that Cloud almost missed it. "I'm sorry."

"What? For what?" Asked Cloud and then it dawned on him. Oh, fuck. He's such an idiot! He had bolted out of there without so much of a word. Of course Seph thought he had done something wrong. _Idiot, idiot, idiot_…

Sighing again, Cloud leaned over and pulled Sephiroth into his arms until the other man's head was tucked underneath his chin. "Oh, Seph. You did nothing wrong. It was fault, my wrong. I'm the one that's sorry."

"But…"

"No buts about it. I'm to blame, so stop feeling bad. If you get out of the water, I promise I'll make it up to you. Anything you want."

Sephiroth slowly looked up at him. "Can we kill Valentine?"

Cloud blinked a couple of times and let that sink into his fuzzy brain. His first reaction was to laugh. He laughed until his sides hurt. He had to release the other male from his embrace so that he could clutch his sides. The blond eventually sobered up enough to reply, "Anything but that, Seph. I'm sorry."

Sephiroth _pouted_. He actually pouted. "Fine…"

"C'mon, Seph. Let's get you out before you catch your death of cold. You look like you're freezing."

The jade-eyed man stood up and declared, "I want a kiss."

Stunned not only by Sephiroth's regal, naked beauty, he was shocked by the request. It was not what he had expected. He quickly snapped out of it by shaking his head and setting his mind to think clinical. "Uh…let's get you out of there first."

Snatching the closest towel, Cloud wrapped it around the taller male as he stepped out. He then grabbed another towel and helped him pat and rub the water out of his soaked hair.

"I can do this myself, Cloud," stated Sephiroth in a dead-pan sort of voice. He watched the slighter male as if trying to figure out what his game was. The blond was always on the unpredictable side.

"I know," Cloud said quietly as he used another towel to pat and rub the ex-General's back, stomach, and torso dry. Once he was satisfied with his work, he snatched the black bathrobe off the hook on the wall and helped the other man slip it on. Tugging the towel off from around the taller male's waist, Cloud wrapped the robe around Sephiroth securely. Next he tied it closed tightly enough so that it stated fastened. Last thing he wanted was Sephiroth walking around the house and his robe popping open to reveal his goodies to the gunman.

Cloud stifled a laugh. He didn't know whether he'd be pissed or amused by such a spectacle. Probably both.

In a bored tone, the silver-haired man drawled, "Do I pass inspection?"

For a moment, Cloud was struck by an old memory of his Cadet days.

_Cloud had been outside dressed in his Cadet uniform as he stood in line with the other Cadets while waiting for inspection. It was a very sunny day, which meant it was very hot and stuffy. Pollen was floating in the air, which caused half the Cadets to sneeze and rub at their noses. _

_Cloud usually suffered from bad allergies, but he didn't let it show. He held in every sneeze and refrained from rubbing his nose. He stood stock still and at attention as he waited. The blond may have been one of the shorter Cadets, but he made up for it by being disciplined and serious about making it into the SOLDIER program. _

_Out of the corner of his eye, there was a flash of black and silver. He instinctively knew who it was and almost turned his head to look. He had to use every ounce of his will power not to turn his head towards the Demon of Wutai._

_Steeling himself, he stood rigid as he waited. His eyes were trained forward and he didn't realize he was being stared at until something large and black blocked his view. His pulse quickened and he knew he was sweating more out of nervousness than from the actual heat. _Sephiroth_ was standing in front of him, looking at _him_! _

_Without moving his eyes, Cloud focused his eyes enough so that he could look at him without being obvious. Gaia, he was about to die. This was the closest he ever stood to his hero, his idol. He felt the butterflies fluttering madly around in his stomach killing each other. _

"_I like this one," came Sephiroth deep, smooth baritone. It was so dreamy that the other Cadets, even the heterosexual ones, sighed in unison. _

_Another voice, familiar and exuberant, then chimed in. "Oh, that's Spike! I like him, too. He's a good guy."_

"_So you've said a million times, Zachary," murmured Sephiroth with a roll of his green eyes. Sometimes the hyperactive First was more than he could bear at times, yet regardless of that fact, he still trusted Zack with his life. _

"_Oh, well, I didn't know you were paying attention, Sephy!" Joked the black-spiky haired man that stood next to the silver-haired god as if he were his equal. _

_Ignoring his First for now, Sephiroth turned his attention back on the blond Cadet. Noticing that he was still standing at attention, he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and ordered, "At ease, Cadet."_

"_Sir, yes, sir!" Automatically responded Cloud whose stance relaxed into a posture that was acceptable by SOLDIER standards. He relaxed his gaze enough so that he could acknowledge the other man just enough so that he wasn't gawking at him rudely. _

"_Your name, Cadet?" Inquired the silver-haired General of Shinra. He was intrigued by the fact that Cloud was the only Cadet that wasn't visibly drooling over him like a love-smitten fool._

"_Cloud Strife, sir."_

"_I presume that you're attempting to get into the SOLDIER program?"_

"_Yes, sir."_

_Pleased by that answer, Sephiroth nodded and said, "Good. I will personally put in a good word for you. I hope you make it into the program because we need more SOLDIERS like you, Strife."_

_With that being said, the Silver General turned away, his lengthy hair and coat billowing behind him as he walked. _

_Zack gave Cloud a wink and thumbs up and then followed on the General's heel like a puppy dog._

_Cloud swore that he had about died where he had stood. He was rudely snapped out of his reverie the moment the shrill voice of his instructor came barreling down the line. The blond Cadet quickly stood back at attention with his heart swelling up in his chest. _

"Yeah…wait a second," murmured Cloud who then gingerly removed the towel from the larger man's head. Dropping the towel over the edge of the tub, he walked to the sink and grabbed a comb. Returning with it, he combed out the other man's long silver tresses. If he didn't do it now, it would surely be a tangled mess in the morning. And Gaia, the man had such long hair. It was astonishing that it rarely tangled much and hardly ever received split ends.

Completely oblivious to Cloud's flashback, Sephiroth stared at him as if awaiting orders. "Well?"

"Come on, grumpy, let's go to bed," said Cloud as he opened the bathroom door and strode out on his way to his bedroom. He didn't have to look to know that Sephiroth was following on his heels. It was funny how things had flipped around on them. He wished that Zack could see them now. Well, not when they were in the tub, but right now with how Sephiroth acted. In a way, he felt like Zack was watching them. He half-smiled as he imagined Zack giving him two thumbs up from the Lifestream.

Standing in the dark, unseen and unmoving, Vincent watched silently as Sephiroth followed Cloud into his bedroom. The door shut and no one came out again. It was…well, the ex-Turk had not been expecting that, but things were slowly, but surely starting to click into place. 

* * *

><p>Lying in the bed, Cloud was about to ease his eyes closed and drift into blissful sleep when he felt movement and heard a cough. Ignoring it, he opted to close his eyes and feign sleep.<p>

Sephiroth had sat up and was staring hard at him. He coughed again. When that didn't work, he shook Cloud by the shoulder. Hearing the man groan wearily, he rolled his eyes and then said, "Cloud, I know you're not asleep."

"Seph, go to sleep."

"You promised to make it up to me."

"Can't I make it up to you in the morning?"

Sephiroth crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "No."

The blond groaned again and rolled onto his back. He turned his head and looked at the ex-General. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"You think that's pain? I'll show you real pain if you don't keep your word, Cloud."

Cloud smiled wryly. "Spoken like a true General."

"What?" Sephiroth stared at him in such a way that mirrored the confusion of his voice.

"Nevermind…" mumbled the blond as he sat up until he was leaning against the headboard of the bed. "All right, what is it? What do you want?"

"I already told you in the bathroom. I want a kiss."

"Oh…I was hoping you'd forget that."

Sephiroth was not amused. "It's either that or kill Valentine. Choose one."

Cloud laid back down and mumbled, "All right, I'll kill Vincent in the morning…"

When Sephiroth didn't move, the blond man sat back up and regarded him with tired blue eyes. "You're serious, aren't you."

"Yes, Cloud. You did it before. Do it again."

Sighing, Cloud ran his fingers through his blond spikes a few times. "Very well. Lay down first."

Obeying without hesitation, Sephiroth reclined into a laying position.

Cloud leaned over him, his breath gently ghosting over the skin of Sephiroth's face, which tickled the man under him slightly. He hesitated, but only for a moment. Closing in the distance between them, his lips brushed softly against slightly parted lips in what he thought was a chaste kiss. He made to pull away after a couple of moments, but a strong hand held him in place by the back of his head. The blond was surprised when he felt those thin lips part more and press more insistently against his own.

Surprised, but not put off by that action, Cloud cupped the side of Sephiroth's face and kissed him senseless. As their lips slowly and gently moved against each other, time seemed to stand still. His thumb traced little circles over the skin of Sephiroth's cheekbone as he kissed him.

There was no passionate heat behind it. It was slow, sensual, and brimming full of a timeless display of something they both have lacked most of their lives. Whatever it was, it was exhibited in the way that they touched and kissed each other. It was honest and open.

Cloud didn't completely understand what his feelings were. They were so mixed up that it was hard to decipher what he felt. What he did know was that there was something there. Something more than before. He had some sort of feelings for Sephiroth, something deeper and more complex than before Sephiroth's rebirth. It was more than just mere obligation to save the Planet. Whatever it was, it left him feeling weak and exposed, yet happy and weightless at the same time.

When Cloud pulled away from Sephiroth's lips, he was half surprised to find that he had kissed the other man to sleep. Staring down at him now, he noticed how the moonlight filtered into the room and played across his pale face. His silver hair glittered in the moonlight, making him look ethereal.

It was kind of ironic that Sephiroth resembled a god most when he was at peace and not killing anyone or anything.

As if transfixed, Cloud had to touch his face to make sure that he was real. Sometimes when he woke up during the night, he had to touch the silver-haired man to know that he was really real and not just some figment of his lonely, deprived imagination.

Sephiroth had fallen into the depths of insanity a long time ago, but sometimes, sometimes Cloud felt that he had followed right on the angel's heels into madness. 

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks a bunch, guys, for all the reviews, author/story alerts and Fav Author/Story! I love hearing from you guys. :D 


	10. CH09: Tempest

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Humor, Yaoi M/M, Violence, Amnesiac Sephiroth

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><p>"<em>It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it<em>."-Amelia Barr

* * *

><p>CH09: Tempest<p>

"Does _he_ have to be here?" Drawled a rich, velvety voice that was borderline bored and agitated. The ex-General was far from amused at this point. The dark-haired man's presence wasn't welcomed by him and he didn't even try to be subtle about voicing his own thoughts or feelings. He really didn't give a damn if the ex-Turk heard him or not.

Vincent said nothing from his spot leaned against the wall near the kitchen window. His ruby orbs were focused outside on the Chocobos, yet his ears were trained on the pair.

The blond was sitting at the table across with the silver-haired man. He studied the eggs, toast, and bacon on his plate for a few moments before he sighed and looked at Sephiroth. He really couldn't fault him at all for how he felt, so he did his best to be patient and understanding. In a quiet voice, he answered simply, "He's my friend. _Just_ my friend."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed somewhat for a moment, but his mood lightened a little bit as if a great weight had been heaved off from his shoulders. He nodded curtly once and then went back to reading his book.

The gunman didn't fail to notice Cloud's odd phrasing of words. _Just my friend_.

He also noticed how Sephiroth seemed relieved at hearing that answer. If he didn't know any better, (in which he really didn't, since those two baffled him at times), he would say that they were acting like…like _lovers_. Not that it mattered to him. Gay, straight, or bi, sex and romance was just what it was. Love was love. He was not one to judge it. What Cloud did with himself and with others was his own business and not Vincent's. But this was Sephiroth. He had to remember that. That was why he was here. To keep an eye on the former madman and ensure that he doesn't hurt Cloud or anyone else.

An uncontrollable itch spread throughout Sephiroth in such a way that after twenty minutes or so of enduring it, he finally snapped. "Why are _you_ here? What do you want?"

Vincent felt a smile tugging at the corners of his thin pale lips. Thankfully, his face was turned away from view. The amusement briefly played on his face before he wiped it clean. Returning his visage back to his normally cool look, he then looked at Sephiroth with an eyebrow arched. "To ruin your day, of course."

"I don't like you," spat Sephiroth.

The ex-Turk countered sarcastically, "I'm _heartbroken_. Whatever will I do now?"

Cloud groaned and buried his face in his arms. He wasn't in the mood for bickering children. In the secret confines of his mind, he marveled at the fact that these two, who seemed to dislike each other greatly, hadn't killed one another in his absence. It was a miracle, really.

"How about you take yourself out back and shoot yourself in the head?"

"I would do that but then there would be no one to blacken your glorious day."

"You are annoying me, yes, but you are far from ruining my day, Valentine," retorted the green-eyed man as he crossed his arms and armed himself with an intimidating glare. To himself, he thought silently: As_ long as I have Cloud, all will be well_.

"Anything I can do to change that?"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes and sat back down again. He waved a hand dismissively, "I will not provide you with ammunition, so go away. Find another target to shoot at."

"Oh, that's right…you're a _sword_ person," spoke Vincent as if he had forgotten that fact. Of course he hadn't forgotten. It was kind of difficult to forget _Masamune_ running you through, after all.

The ex-General blinked in confusion. _Sword?_ What was Valentine talking about? How was he a sword person? He didn't even have a sword, let alone know how to use one. "What…what do you…"

Cloud suddenly jumped up to his feet and slammed both of his palms hard against the surface of the table. In a calm, yet firm sort of voice, he commanded, "Enough. Both of you, _enough_. I'm tired of your bickering. If you can't say anything nice then don't say shit at all."

In spite of his outburst, the blond was flabbergasted. Vincent normally _never_ said more than a few words and this was the most he'd witnessed him say…ever. The man had friends, yes, but he was a quiet person and preferred to listen instead of talking, for whatever reasons. It was obvious to Cloud that Vincent must actually _like_ Sephiroth. That had to be it. There was no way his friend would waste his breath on Sephiroth if he didn't like him.

After this revelation, Cloud began to laugh. He laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes and he had to bend over while clutching his sides as he wheezed. When he was finished, he sat back in the chair heavily and gazed up at two very stunned looking faces.

Vincent and Sephiroth didn't say a thing, but they were both thinking it: _Cloud's fucking crazy._

* * *

><p>A week had passed.<p>

It had mostly been a quiet, uneventful week aside from all the verbal battles that arose between the ex-Turk and the ex-General. There was never really a winner since neither of them would relent until Cloud had told them both to shut up.

Cloud's quiet life of solitude was over. Every nightmare was put on hold and every lonely thought died inside of his head. He didn't mind having Sephiroth and Vincent around at all. His friend and his…well, he didn't quite know what Seph was to him, yet. He was still unbearably mystified about that and sometimes while working or lying down to sleep, he caught himself thinking about it.

Sorting out feelings was never an easy thing to do. Especially not for a recluse like Cloud. But he was among two other solitary men who understood that all too well themselves.

Still, it bothered Cloud immensely that he was lost when it came to Sephiroth. He wasn't sure what to think, yet his chest clenched whenever he looked at the man. It was a good sort of pain, the yearning sort of pain that was kind of similar to how he felt for Tifa when he had been just a kid. Yet this was different than that. This was stronger and more profound than some silly little kid crush he had once had on Tifa.

Whatever this was, it was real and it wasn't some delusional fantasy spun from a lonely, bullied mind.

One thing Cloud knew for certain was that he did like this Sephiroth. He was attracted to the man in more ways than one and he knew it now. He had been denying it for awhile, but something had disrupted that. It was easy to deny everything when it was just him and Seph. But since Vincent's arrival, a lot of things had been put into a different perspective. For example, his frantic, worried reaction to Sephiroth missing and his petty jealousy over Vincent and Sephiroth together even though it was obvious nothing was between them.

Sephiroth, on the other hand, was very frustrated. Mostly because Valentine liked teasing him and even just knowing that irked him to no bounds. In spite of being irritated endlessly by Valentine, a part of him enjoyed their little spats. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a connection to Valentine. It was different than the bond he had with Cloud and it was entirely platonic.

Then of course there was the thing with Cloud. There had been no more slip ups as if Cloud was being very careful not to touch Sephiroth the wrong way. It was fairly obvious to him that Cloud kept distancing himself more and more with each passing day. He didn't understand why the blond was doing that and it made him feel bitter. It caused him to sulk during the day and cling to Cloud at night in spite of the other male's protests.

Besides reading, fighting with Valentine, and following Cloud around, Sephiroth spent a nonsensical amount of time standing on that hill where Valentine had first attacked him.

He would stare off in the distance at nothing in particular. He didn't know why, but he felt _compelled_ to do so. Something or someone was pulling at him almost violently and he didn't have the fainted clue as to why. All he knew was that he was obsessed with that particular direction.

Something was there. Something he felt troubled by. Something he felt he should know, but couldn't remember.

Whatever it was, it felt as if it was directly related to his reoccurring nightmares, the nightmares he could not remember; try as he might, whenever he awoke from his slumber.

* * *

><p>"Cloud."<p>

The slighter being didn't so much as look at the dark-haired man, yet he still showed recognition by a slight nod of his head.

"We have to talk about Sephiroth," insisted Vincent from his position leaning against the wall.

Cloud said nothing. He didn't move as he stared out the window with unblinking eyes. Prior to Vincent's appearance, he had already been staring out the window at the ex-General for several minutes now.

Oblivious to being watched, Sephiroth was sitting on that hill while holding a book in his hands. Although he was reading it, he would occasionally glance in that direction every now and then as if paranoid about something.

"What do you plan to do with him? You can't play family forever, you know. Eventually the others will find out about him," spoke Vincent carefully while he tried to gauge Cloud's reaction with his narrowed crimson orbs. He wasn't trying to instigate, but he had kept his silence for little over a week and he felt it was wrong to prolong the inevitable. There was something in the air that gave him a chill that told him that something was about to happen very soon.

The blond shrugged it off as if it wasn't that vital a concern. "I don't know." Cloud stared at nothing for a few moments as if considering something. He then fixed his bright eyes on Vincent and spoke in a low, yet firm voice, "They don't need to know."

"Cloud…" Sighed Vincent as he shook his head very slowly in disapproval.

"They wouldn't understand, Vincent," stated Cloud as if that reason alone explained everything.

"That's funny because I don't understand, either."

"You're _different_ than they are," explained Cloud in a matter of fact tone of voice. He didn't mean it as an insult to Vincent or his other friends. It was true when he said that Vincent was different than his other friends. It was also true that the ex-Turk was calmer and less impulsive than the others. The gunman could listen to reason, but the others…Cloud didn't know if they could accept this situation or not.

The ex-Turk uncrossed his arms, pushed off from the wall, and strode over to stand beside his comrade as he, too, stared at Sephiroth. "He had a panic attack when you were gone, about a week ago. You know, that same day you threw a hissy fit."

Cloud was too immersed in the fact that Sephiroth had had a panic attack to fully absorb the insult Vincent had cleverly merged into his statement. "What? Why didn't you tell me something like that had happened?"

"It must have slipped my mind," murmured the gunman with a casual shrug.

Choosing to let his anger dissipate, he then sighed and asked, "Why did he panic?"

"I do not know. Perhaps it had something to do with your absence," suggested Vincent with a slightly arched eyebrow. There was slight mirth in his eyes as he momentarily recalled how much of a brat the ex-General had acted that day.

"How did you calm him down then?" Cloud asked hesitantly as he felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

"I called him 'Seph' and he instantly calmed down as if that were a trigger word. I do not understand it, but he seemed to be linked to **you**. _Dependant_ on you, in other suchwords. He is always normal and stable around you."

Cloud nodded slowly and his gaze softened somewhat as he looked at the silver-haired man. It was strange how these days he looked at Sephiroth so tenderly while in his memories he remembered glaring at the man with such reckless hate.

"Another thing…I am concerned for his stability. Every time I glance at him, I catch him staring off in that same direction as if something is calling out to him. Or _someone_. We have to consider the possibility that it is **Jenova**."

"No…" Growled Cloud in denial as he shook his head vigorously. He didn't want to believe it. It was true that he knew Jenova was coming back, but he didn't want to think that Sephiroth was going to become her puppet again._ No, not again._

"What are you planning to do when he does remember everything? When and _if_ he goes mad? There's a chance that he will revert back into **that** Sephiroth. What will you do then?"

Something spread throughout Cloud's being in such a way that it almost felt like both Zack and Aerith were patting him on the shoulder. It felt like something akin to encouragement. "I will not need to do anything about it because that will not happen."

"Cloud-"

"-He is mine, she can't have him. I won't let her. I already explained everything to you over a week ago. You know as much as I do and all we can do is wait and trust in Aerith and Zack." Cloud quickly cut off any and all protests that Vincent had. He spoke in a steeled, determined kind of way that left no room for argument at all.

The gunman released an inaudible sigh that not even someone with enhanced hearing could catch. He then turned his molten gaze back out the window and just stared at the former madman. It was hard to deny the pangs he felt in his chest. It was a feeling he didn't quite understand yet but he at least gathered that it wasn't at all that much different than when he thought about Lucrecia.

Vincent had an unfathomable connection with Sephiroth, a bond that he didn't quite comprehend. He didn't know where it came from and he wasn't even aware of it until one day he caught himself smiling warmly at Sephiroth.

The ex-Turk didn't know what was bound to happen in the future. He didn't know if things would end well for them all and if this wasn't just all in vain; nevertheless, he still found himself hoping that Cloud was right.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Cloud, with Sephiroth in tow, left for the town of Schönnbach. Cloud would have gone alone on Fenrir, but Sephiroth protested to the point that he threatened to kill Valentine if the blond left him alone with the gunman again.<p>

It was due time to go into town and get some much needed supplies since there was three of them now. It was mostly food items and some toiletries.

Cloud dismounted from the bike and turned to watch as the taller male gingerly hopped off from the bike. He had to admit that Sephiroth looked great on Fenrir, especially dressed in all that black leather. Yeah, it had just seemed wrong to him not to dress the man in leather especially when they rode on his bike. The only downside of it wasn't the fact that the townspeople gawked at Seph, it was that Cloud found it increasingly difficult not to drool like a love struck idiot whenever he looked at him.

"Like what you see?" Purred a deep, smooth baritone that could leave anyone weak in the knees.

Smacked out of whatever coma he was in, Cloud looked up at Sephiroth's face. He blushed a deep crimson when he realized he had been caught staring. Tearing his gaze away, he muttered something weak in denial. He didn't even know what he had said, but he knew it was probably something stupid.

"If you say so," said Sephiroth in a flippant way as he sauntered ahead of Cloud. It was almost as if he were purposely flaunting himself for the blond. In a way, he was actually unconsciously teasing the slighter male.

Whatever thoughts Cloud were having were soon interrupted by a small punch to his arm. It didn't hurt, but it had had enough of a force behind it for him to notice it.

"Hey blondilocks, where have you been?" Piped the familiar voice of the red-headed tomboy.

Looking down at brown-eyed girl, he shrugged sheepishly. "I've been…busy."

Staring ahead at the silver-haired man, she mumbled, "Uh huh…"

"Hana, is your dad's shop open today?" Asked Cloud as he walked beside her. Even though he would glance at her every so often, he still made sure to keep an eye on the ex-General.

"Yeah, it always is. Why? Ya need something?"

Walking ahead of them as if oblivious to their conversation and general presence, Sephiroth would stop every now and then to peer into a shop window. Sometimes the objects he saw would momentarily interest him, but he usually didn't spare more than a second glance.

Cloud nodded. "A few things, yes."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Do ya know a weird guy with long black hair and pale skin? His red and black outfit was loud and he stood out like a sore wound."

Vincent pretty much stood out as much as Sephiroth did, but Cloud didn't bother to point that out. He smiled slightly. "Yeah, that's my friend, Vincent Valentine."

"Vincent, eh? He's kind of a creeper. He stalked Seph _everywhere_."

"I asked him to keep an eye on Seph. Did he hurt him or do anything bad?"

Hana shook her head. "No, just followed at a distance. I was just worried that he had done something to Seph. Cuz, you know, I haven't heard from any of you for awhile."

"Sorry about that." The blond offered a wry smile and then patted her shoulder lightly. "Look, he's a good friend of mine and he would never hurt you or Seph."

"Gotcha," said the tomboy, who accepted what he said without question. The only reason she had brought up Vincent at all was to clarify that he was one of the good guys. She didn't know the guy so there was no way of knowing whether he had coerced Sephiroth into something insidious or worse, killed him. Even though she lived in a small town, she was no stranger to the evils of the world.

"For a nosy little ginger kid, you're not so bad," teased Cloud as he ruffled her short red hair.

"Hey!" Hana objected as she shoved his hand away. Looking away, she cursed under her breath more at herself than at Cloud because she could feel her face heating up. She was sure she was bright red by now.

"You look like a girl when you blush," commented Cloud.

"Oh, SHUT UP!"

* * *

><p>While they waited for Cloud to finish shopping, the ex-General and the tomboy sat on a bench in the park. Fighting boredom and failing, Hana insipidly picked off the petals of a yellow flower. It was one of those weeds that pretended to be a flower so whenever she picked them no one made a fuss at her.<p>

"Why are you doing that?" Asked Sephiroth after a few minutes of watching her pick apart the yellow weeds.

"I'm bored," answered the redhead before she dropped the dead plant to the ground. Staring down at it, she then added quietly, "it beats picking on others."

Staring at the girl, Sephiroth had the sense that there was more to her words than she let on. Every time he was around her, she always left subtle little hints about something. He didn't quite understand what was going on, yet, but he didn't fail to notice that she never hung around any other kids and that she was always happy to see him and Cloud.

"I'm gonna get a drink. You want something?" Hana asked as she slid off the bench. Stretching her thin, band aid-covered arms, she looked over her shoulder at the leather-clad man.

Sephiroth shook his head and murmured, "No, thank you."

Nodding, the tomboy walked past the monkey bars, merry-go-rounds, and the swing sets until she was on the other side of the park. There was a vending machine there that offered a variety of energy and soda drinks. It was mostly a bunch of sugar-loaded and caffeine boosted drinks.

Sephiroth zoned out, his eyes unconfused as he waited. His mind drifted off in thoughts that plagued him more and more every day.

Just when the green-eyed man started nodding off, there was a terrified scream.

Instantly jumping to his feet as if by pure instinct alone, Sephiroth then snapped his head towards the direction of the scream. It took him a few brief seconds to locate Hana backing away from something big and monstrous.

It was…well, he wasn't sure what it was. It was a strange beast and something in the back of his mind felt that this thing was remotely familiar.

Whatever it was, it was a four-headed monster bearing the heads of a lion, goat, lizard, and hawk. And if that wasn't strange enough, it had a snake headed tail.

Curling its claws against the soil, the monster flapped its wings as it bellowed at the girl. It was clear to anyone that it was preparing to make its attack.

Not wasting any more time, Sephiroth lunged forward in great leaps. His long legs carried him far and fast as he rushed in an effort to get to Hana before the thing killed her.

Sephiroth hurtled forward and pushed the red-head out of the way just as the lion head snapped its jaws and as the lizard head casted _Aqua Breath_. The other two heads and snake tail waited as if feeling the girl wasn't worth being attacked all at once.

Grunting, Sephiroth flipped in the air and barely landed on his feet. While he had managed to avoid the spells cast at him, he hadn't managed to avoid the physical damage. He felt hot wetness flowing down his backside from the wounds of teeth and claws that had none too kindly assaulted his back. The leather on his back was shredded and he had no idea how bad the damage was. It hurt like a bitch, but he wasn't about to cry over it.

"Seph! Watch out" Cried Hana as she rushed over to him. She suddenly wished she wasn't a little kid because if she had been an adult, she probably could have not only defended herself, but her friend as well. She felt helpless and useless, but that didn't mean she was going to run away and let her friend get killed.

Sephiroth braced himself as he tried to think of what to do. He suddenly wished he had something, anything to defend himself with. He just didn't know what to do. The ex-General was a grown man and he felt as helpless as a child.

The monster made a series of menacing, threatening noises and looked as if it were about to attack again. Only…it wasn't looking at Hana or Sephiroth. It was looking right past them at something else.

"Oh great, a _Chimera_," grumbled Cloud as he held First Tsurugi behind him in what looked like an intimidating pose. He glared at the monster as he tightened his hand around the hilt of his buster sword. He didn't even understand why one of those things was out here of all places. Usually Chimeras were found in desert regions and not wandering around some town's park looking for little kids as snacks.

Grabbing Hana by the arm, Sephiroth jumped backwards just in time to avoid the charging beast from trampling them both. He protectively kept the girl behind him just in case the thing reared around to attack them.

Wielding First Tsurugi in both hands now, Cloud leaped in the air, jumping out of the way of any impending attacks inflicted by the monster. Landing near its right flank, the snake-head tail lashed out only to be sliced off by his blade.

Screaming in fury, the Chimera whipped around to retaliate, but it suffered a series of swift decapitations before it could so much as snap any of its jaws. In lightning strikes, each head was severed off and rolled onto the ground in random directions.

Cloud watched as the body slumped to the ground in the throes of violent death. Once he was sure it was dead, he lowered his sword and then strode quickly over to the gawking pair.

Sephiroth was stunned. Watching the blond effortlessly evade all attacks and then take down the beast effortlessly was beyond amazing. This was the first time he had ever seen Cloud fight and it aroused all of his senses. There was a certain familiarity to it that he couldn't quite remember. He remembered that sword so well and the way Cloud moved, but he couldn't remember why he remembered those things. All he knew was that he had enjoyed seeing Cloud fight and kill the Chimera, or whatever it was. He enjoyed it so much so that his body felt taut and hot as blood pumped wildly through his veins.

"Are you guys all right?" Cloud asked in concern as he approached them. His eyes searched their faces and he could tell by the look on Hana's face that something was wrong.

"Seph is hurt," answered Hana who in turn pointed to Sephiroth's injured back.

Cloud said nothing as he walked around Sephiroth to survey the damage. He winced when he saw how much damage had been done. The wounds were very deep and he was somewhat surprised that Sephiroth stood there as if a mere domestic cat had bitten and scratched him.

The blond wasn't too concerned, though. Fortunately for them both, he did have a cure Materia on him. It was a habit for him to take it everywhere he went and he was suddenly grateful for that.

Standing behind Sephiroth, he murmured, "I'm going to heal you now, so stay still and don't panic." And with that being said, he cast the cure and watched as the bleeding stopped. The flesh knitted back together and before he knew it, there was a smooth expanse of pale, reddened skin where the wounds had previously been.

Sighing in relief, Cloud reached over and swept his hand over the skin in a caress that was meant to inspire comfort. The muscles flinched under his hand as if they had expected to be harmed again. "Seph, how do you feel?"

"Better now. Thank you, Cloud."

Hana looked curious and relieved as she stood on her tippy toes to look at the healed back.

"What happened?" Asked Cloud as he regarded them both with an arched eyebrow. He pretty much could figure out what happened, but he hadn't been there to witness all of it. He was curious to know what they both had to say about it.

"I was getting a drink and all of a sudden, that thing came out of nowhere and tried to get me," the red-head explained calmly even though she still trembled a bit from the shock of surviving a monster attack. She had really believed that they were going to die. Then she realized she would have died if not for Sephiroth. "Seph came running when he heard me scream. He saved my life."

"That right?" Said Cloud with a small smile. He felt proud now as he stared at the ex-General. Something about this seemed to prove to him even more that there was hope. Hope for Sephiroth. Hope for them all.

"Yeah," replied Hana as she suddenly flung herself at Sephiroth and hugged him around his midsection. "Thank you, Seph."

Sephiroth turned around and looked down at the girl. He shrugged. He didn't know what to say. He felt that he had done nothing to be worthy of gratitude. After all, Cloud had been the one that had saved them both by defeating the monster. He then shrugged, "I did nothing."

"That's funny," started the ex-Turk as he seemingly emerged from nowhere. He strode over to them, his red scarf fluttering slightly in the mild breeze. When he had reached them, he stopped and then looked at the slightly taller man. The ex-General was only taller than him by a mere inch. "From where I was standing, it didn't look like you did nothing. It looked like you took an attack meant for the girl."

The silver-haired man said nothing in reply. For once, he was rendered speechless by Vincent.

If the situation had been less serious, the ex-Turk might have been amused by the fact that he had struck the ex-General speechless.

"You were right, Cloud," the dark-haired gunman admitted as he glanced at the dead Chimera. "There have been more monster sightings recently and attacks on towns like this one are becoming more prevalent as of late. Something is drawing these things out into the open. Some people are even hiring full-time mercenaries to protect them from the beasts."

One of Sephiroth's silver eyebrows shot up at that, but he did not say a thing. He did wonder about what the first vague statement was in reference to.

Cloud sighed a weary sigh. He suddenly looked much older and it was clear by the dark bags under his eyes that he hadn't been sleeping much. Obviously something was bothering him enough to disturb his rest _and_ mental state. He did not take his sky blue eyes off of Sephiroth. "It has begun."

"What do you want me to do?" Inquired Vincent as soon as he had sensed a shift in Cloud's intentions. Something told him that there was more to be done now then just mere babysitting.

The blond glanced at the ex-Turk as he quickly instructed, "I want you to assemble the others. Tell them what you know. But I don't want them coming to my house without my permission first."

"And after I have told them the news?"

"You may return as soon as you wish, but without added guests. I don't want anyone attacking Seph and I won't have time for them."

Vincent nodded. The gunman was just relieved to know that something was finally being done. He hated waiting, waiting for something bad to happen. He liked to just get it done and over with.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and finally spoke. "What is going on?"

As if suddenly aware of Sephiroth's presence, Cloud blinked and looked at him with a face mixed with emotion. "I'm going to be teaching you how to fight."

The ex-General blinked. "Come again?"

"I'm going to teach you how to fight. You will learn how to defend yourself and others." The blond ex-mercenary then looked at his own sword and sighed. "But before we get to that, we're going to need to visit an old friend of mine that owes me a favor."

"Why?"

Cloud met Sephiroth's exotic green gaze. "Because you need a _sword."_


	11. CH10: Declaration

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Humor, Yaoi M/M, Some Violence, Amnesiac Sephiroth, Some fluffiness, Some angst

Note: I came across this Oomph! Song and felt it was perfect for this story. Normally, I post quotes or small snippets of verses, but I felt the entire song was relevant to this story. Oomph! is a German band and sometimes they make English versions of their songs, and this is one of them. I purposely left out all the repetitive verses.

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><p>I hate the formatting on this website. It really...kills me. It fights me every chapter.<p>

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><p><em>"Left, right, straight ahead,<em>

_There's no way out, you're dead_

_Left, right, straight ahead_

_There's no way out, you're dead_

_Left, right, straight ahead_

_The madness here has locked you up_

_And now your perfect world is fucked_

_It's taken root inside your mind_

_Run, child, run, run for your life_

_You don't know now who you are_

_You don't know now what love is for_

_The mirrored face you see is strange_

_There's no one here to share your pain_

_Knock, knock, let me in_

_Let me be your secret sin_

_ Knock, knock__-__Knock, knock_

_Knock, knock, let me in_

_Let me be your secret sin_

_Left, right, straight ahead_

_You're in the Labyrinth_

_Left, right, straight ahead_

_No one here can tell you_

_Which direction_

_Is the right one to take_

_Child for heaven's sake_

_No one here can tell you_

_Who is good or bad_

_Don't make a mistake_

_Child for heaven's sake_

_Time and again you've kept me out_

_And hardened up your heart in doubt_

_That me inside your second skin_

_Has spoiled your thinking once again_

_When I possess your soul, I'll say things_

_And use you as my personal plaything_

_The time will come I'll dull your senses_

_If you don't stop this game is endless."_

"Labyrinth" By: Oomph!

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><p>CH10: Declaration<p>

It always started the same way each time. Every night, he saw the same thing writhing feverishly behind his eyes. Something he always forgot once he woke from his less than restful slumber.

Yet this time, when he did wake up, it stuck with him. He actually remembered what he had dreamt.

He recalled a world bequeathed by wild flames that consumed everything living or not. The wretched screams and the billowing smoke both rose up together in a torrid pair into the dark sky. It was hard to tell which was worse, the ear-shattering shrieks or the eye-burning, choking black smoke.

Standing in the flames, unhindered by them, was a tall figure clad in black. He walked in the flames as if they didn't hurt him. In some ways, he relished the burn and closed his eyes as the fire caressed his pale face. His lengthy silver hair seemed to move slightly of its own accord as the flames danced around him in a show of sensual chaos.

An extraordinarily long, impressive looking sword was gripped lovingly in his gloved left hand. It seemed to have a life of its own and it called out to him, begging for more. More of what, that was hard to tell.

It was hard to get a good look at the figure since he had his back to the dreamer.

With determined steps, he strode through the fire towards something far off in the distance. Then he stopped once he had reached what had lured him there in the first place.

Standing on the edge of a dilapidated, burning building was a blond spiky-haired shorter man dressed almost just as darkly with a large and equally as impressive sword clutched in his right hand. There was unprecedented rage and hate smoldering in his brightly burning blue eyes as he stared down at the man dressed in black.

He looked like…_Cloud_.

No words were exchanged between them. Just heated stares that lasted for several minutes before the blond one finally snapped and leapt off the building to clash his sword with the other.

The larger figure easily parried each blow that was meant to decapitate or slash him in half. In fact, he seemed to relish the strength behind each blow as the metal of the swords clanged together.

Both figures were entranced by the hatred building up between them; one was incensed by it, and the other was aroused by it.

The taller figure deflected a blow that was aimed to maim. The silver-haired man was done playing now. He next grabbed the slighter male by the throat with his right hand while he thrust his sword into the blond's midsection. With a cruel, yet mad smirk, he violently jerked the sword up until he had broken through the rib cage and severed the furiously beating heart.

The smaller male, who had been screaming silently, suddenly stopped struggling and died impaled on the long, kitana-like sword.

Laughing manically, he ripped out his sword and then tossed the body away as if it were a broken, unwanted toy. He then brought the sword to his lips and licked the blood off with the tip of his tongue. Savoring the blood of his enemy, he whispered, "Goodbye, _puppet_…"

Slowly turning around, the dark figure finally faced the dreamer. The flames encased him as he smirked, his emerald glowing eyes narrowed in devious mirth.

He didn't blink.

He didn't breathe.

He was _unworldly_.

The silver-haired madman just stared as if gazing at his own reflection in barely restrained glee. He seemed to believe that he knew something that the dreamer didn't, so he continued smirking knowingly.

Then as if summoned by something or someone else, he slowly turned away again and strode away, sheathed in frenzied flames.

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><p>Cloud yawned as he stretched each of his limbs. He didn't feel like getting out of bed, but something in the back of his mind told him that he had a lot to get done.<p>

Glancing to the right side of the bed, the blond was surprised to see that Sephiroth wasn't there. He wasn't alarmed per se, but he was still concerned. Seph usually woke up _after_, not before him.

Jumping out of the bed, he hastily put on some pants, threw a shirt over his head, and pulled on some boots. Before Sephiroth came along, he had liked sleeping naked, but for obvious reasons he always made sure he slept in boxers.

"Seph?" Cloud called out as he left the bedroom and wandered throughout the small house.

He received no answer.

Something was wrong. The ex-Mercenary couldn't explain it. The only way he could describe it was saying that he could _feel_ it.

Running outside, he searched frantically until he saw something black and silver out of the corner of his eyes.

It was Sephiroth. And he was sitting on that damn hill again.

Annoyed, yet relieved at the same time, he sighed and then jogged over to meet the other man. Once he had reached him, he dropped himself into a sitting position on the ground. He didn't look at the ex-General, but he did gaze in the direction that he was looking. "Seph."

"Yes, Cloud," answered Sephiroth in a very hollow voice. His expression seemed to mirror the tone of his voice.

"What's wrong?" Inquired Cloud as he leaned over to stare at Sephiroth. He was so close to the point that they were almost touching. He actually craved to touch the man, but he knew it was better to keep his distance due to the ex-General's sour mood.

The ex-General refused to meet his eyes. He grumbled, "Nothing."

Cloud narrowed his eyes and then retorted, "Don't lie to me. I know something is wrong."

Sephiroth sighed. He bent his legs so that his knees touched his chest and then wrapped his arms around said legs. He then propped the side of his face on his knees as he stared at Cloud in a wistful way. "I had a nightmare last night."

"I know…you usually suffer from night terrors. Sometimes I have to grab you to calm you down. You kick and hit me in your sleep, you know."

"Oh…well, I'm sorry," quietly mumbled Seph, who promptly looked away.

Cloud half-smiled. "It's ok. I know you don't mean to. It's not your fault."

Sephiroth shook his head. He felt like everything was his fault. The green-eyed male didn't understand everything yet, but something weighed heavily on his shoulders. Especially since he had woken up from having a dream that he was a monster and had murdered Cloud in cold blood.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cloud slowly asked. He didn't want to seem too eager or nosy.

The silver-haired man said nothing in reply.

It was Cloud's turn to sigh. He leaned back and stared up at the sky as if thoughtful. "I have nightmares a lot, too. I've been having them for over ten years now. They're usually the same ones over and over again."

His curiously piqued by that, Sephiroth lifted his head and looked at the slighter man. "Really?"

"Yeah. I guess that's partly why I'm way out here. Every time I looked at my friends, I remembered everything. I love them and all, but every time I heard their voices or saw their faces…I _remembered_. You could say I was being a coward by trying to escape my nightmares," admitted a forlorn looking Cloud. He was not proud of this, but it felt good to finally tell someone. It felt good to talk about it even though it wouldn't change anything.

Narrowing his eyes, Sephiroth sternly objected, "You're anything but a coward, Cloud."

The spiky-haired man was amused. "Then what am I?"

"You are…Cloud," answered Sephiroth, who reached over and touched the side of the blond's face with the tips of his fingers. He seemed almost hesitant to touch him, as if he might accidently hurt him. As if he would lapse into the other Sephiroth. The mad, monstrous Sephiroth he had witnessed in his nightmares.

Cloud had to fight with himself not to lean into the touch like a cat. Instead, he grabbed Sephiroth's hand and manipulated it so that both of their hands were intertwined in a show of love and support.

Several long minutes passed in silence with neither uttering a single word or noise.

"They stopped."

Sephiroth blinked. "What stopped?"

"My nightmares. After I found you in that cavern and started taking care of you…well, I stopped having nightmares. I was too preoccupied with you to notice it until, well, now. I think I sleep better with you around, as cheesy as that sounds," answered Cloud with a faint blush on his cheeks. He was treading on dangerous ground and he knew it. He had tried to word himself very carefully so that he didn't give himself away.

Glad to hear it, but still confused by something, Sephiroth pointed out, "You haven't been sleeping very well lately, Cloud."

Smiling sheepishly, Cloud looked away. "Oh…_that_. That has nothing to do with nightmares."

"Then what is disrupting your sleep?"

"It's not easy sleeping next to you, you know."

The ex-General's face fell upon hearing that. He then untangled his hand from Cloud's and wrapped his arms around his legs. "Ah. The hitting and kicking thing."

"Actually, I've gotten used to that, believe it or not. That's not what is disturbing my sleep, Seph."

Cloud bit his lip since he was hesitant to talk about it. An idea formed in his head and he decided to go with it. There was no way Seph could get him to talk if he wasn't willing to spill his guts, too. "I'll tell you about it if you tell me about your nightmare."

"Oh…" Sephiroth rested his chin on his arms, which were draped over his knees. At first it seemed as if he were reluctant to speak since he was quiet and stared at nothing in particular. He even chewed on the inside of his cheek until he bled. It was something he made a habit of doing ever since Cloud had scolded him for biting his lips till they bled.

The ex-Mercenary closed his eyes and laid down on the grass with his strong arms propped behind his head. It's so peaceful and quiet that after several minutes, he's tempted to take a nap even though he had barely been awake for an hour.

It would seem that it was Sephiroth's turn to break the silence.

"It's always the same. It starts the same and ends the same. I dream of fire and chaos. I see you in my nightmares, but you seem different somehow in them. You're hateful and angry towards me. I'm there, too, yes…but I don't seem like myself at all. This person, whoever he is, well, he looks like me, but he can't be. He's different…insane and monstrous. Cruel and unrelenting. And in spite of those things, he's magnificent. His very being seems to be that of a god…even though he's done so many bad, unspeakable things."

Cloud's eyes snap open and he sits up quickly. He turns and gives the silver-haired man his undivided attention. "Go on…"

Encouraged by that, Sephiroth continued, "The world is burning. There are no trees and no animals. All the buildings are destroyed and everyone is dead. Except you. You seem to be the sole survivor of whatever happened."

"What happens in the dream?" Cloud asked when it seemed that the ex-General wasn't going to add more to it. He was careful to refer to the dream as 'the' and not 'your'. He was relieved that Sephiroth seemed to look at the nightmare as if he were the onlooker and not the madman. That and the fact that Seph seemed genuinely bothered by this nightmare heartened him.

"He…fights you."

"That's all?"

In a small, strained sort of voice, Sephiroth muttered, "And then he _kills_ you."

"How does that make you feel?" Asked the blond and as soon as the words had left his mouth, he wanted to kick himself. _Idiot_.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud and it was clear by his gaze that he felt all kinds of ways about it. All of them bad enough for him to whisper, "Like I deserve to die."

"Listen, Seph, you don't deserve to die. I don't want you to die. So get that out of your head."

"But do you hate me? You say you do not, but it does not feel that way."

The blue-eyed man had to think about that carefully for a moment. There were so many ways that he could answer that would sound wrong and be wrong. In the end, he resigned to just telling the truth. To tell it like it is. "I hate what happened between us years ago. I hated what you became. I hated what you did. I also hated what Shinra and that…what _she_ did to you. I hated all those things and more, and I hated myself. For everything that happened, I blamed myself and I blamed you.

It took me years to come to any sort of understanding, Seph. I don't think I understood any of it until I found you and resurrected you. It wasn't easy, but with your help, I found out a few things. I don't have all the answers, yet, and I may never find them all. But what I do know is that is wasn't my fault, and it wasn't your fault. What happened was bad, but I know now that it was beyond everyone's control. We all had a hand in it somehow. The things we did and the things we didn't do. And because of all that, it sent out a chain reaction...and well, here we are."

Sephiroth gazed at Cloud in what only could be described as awe.

"You going to say something or do I have to knock on your forehead?" Inquired Cloud humorously after a few minutes of the ex-General staring at him in silence. In all honestly, what he had just said didn't make much sense to him. It was _silly_.

The taller male shook his head and laughed. It was a deep and rich sound and if Cloud had been standing, he probably would have swooned. "Cloud, why is it that whenever I'm feeling bad…you somehow always make me feel better?"

"I could ask you the same question, Seph. You always make me feel better, too."

"When do you think I'm going to remember everything?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure it'll come to you someday. Maybe it'll come to you after you have a bunch of good memories to fight it off," offered Cloud as he plopped back onto the ground and stared up at the bright blue sky, the sky that seemed to mirror his eyes.

"I hope that is the case..."

After ten minutes of quiet contemplation, Cloud voiced his thoughts. "You know…sometimes when you sleep, I stay awake and I watch you. I look at you, and I wonder to myself how things would have turned out if you had had all the things that I had been given. A mother, family, friends. A life. All those things that make you human. It's easy for me and my friends to look down our noses at you and label you an evil monster, but in reality…we all would have gone down the same path most likely, had it been us in your stead."

Sephiroth suddenly felt small. The blond's words were helping him, but he still felt like there was something wrong with him. He sighed, "I must have done some really bad things."

"Seph, you went through life without something very important. No one ever gave it to you. Then…one day, you went insane…and _someone_ reached out to you, promising you the very thing you lacked. But it was a lie and it wasn't real. The person was just using you for their own gain. They didn't care about you," explained Cloud as he watched the emotions that flickered on Sephiroth's pale face. A guilty look passed his own features as he mumbled the next couple of sentences. "Sometimes I wish I could have been there with you at that time. I wish I could have helped you."

"What was I lacking?" Sephiroth asked, genuinely confused by his words.

"Love, you didn't have love. No one truly loved you," murmured Cloud as he felt his cheeks heat up as he spoke those words. It hadn't been easy to open up and admit all of these things, but he found that he couldn't stop the floodgates from releasing all this stupid, cheesy shit.

Sephiroth blinked. "Do I have it now?"

"What do you think? I don't hate you. Hana adores you. Even Vincent has taken a shine to you, and I tell you, that guy barely likes anyone he meets. He likes you and in time…he'll see what I see and perhaps even love you."

The ex-General muttered something about silly little tomboys and stupid, inane ex-Turks. There was a slight tinge of pink to his usually pale cheeks. He even muttered something else so low and quiet that Cloud missed it altogether.

"What did you say, Seph?"

Sephiroth leaned forward, his hair acting as a curtain by hiding his face. He mumbled just loud enough for the blond to hear, "I said…do you love me?"

Cloud quickly sat up again and stared at the solemn looking ex-General. He had a feeling that Aerith was smiling down at him and that Zack had the goofiest look on his face. _Ah_, so that's why he was here. It wasn't just to save the world. He was here to love Seph. Geeze, Zack was dorky enough to match-make from the Lifestream.

Mistaking his silence for the negative, the ex-General shrugged dismissively as if it didn't matter.

"You told me about your nightmare, so I think it's fair that I told you why I can't sleep."

The larger man nodded and kept his green-eyed gaze trained on Cloud.

Cloud inhaled and then exhaled deeply. He suddenly felt like he was a kid again. "I have problems sleeping because of you, because you're right there beside me. There were so many times that I was tempted to leave and sleep elsewhere, or actually force you to sleep in your own bed, but I couldn't do it. I even tried sleeping on the couch, but I couldn't sleep without you."

Sephiroth's forehead wrinkled. "That doesn't make sense. You can't sleep if I'm there, yet you can't sleep if I'm not there."

"That's because you're missing the point, Seph. I can't sleep very well because…you're beautiful. You're sexy. I want to do unspeakable things to you. You have no idea how hard it is not to touch you and do the things I fantasize about to you."

The amnesiac man said nothing as he mulled that information inside his head. It made sense to him, yet it didn't. He didn't understand completely.

As if to help clarify it some, Cloud further explained, "It's not just sexual attraction, Seph. It's more than that. Thanks to Vincent, I know that now. He's always good at putting things in perspective even when he says nothing at all."

Sephiroth felt annoyed that Vincent was getting credit for anything at all. The ex-Turk was gone for now, yet he somehow creeped up on them in conversations. As far as Seph was concerned, he didn't feel that that man deserved to be anywhere near them.

It must have showed on the ex-Generals face, so Cloud decided to add, "Oh, get over it. I know you like Vincent."

"I do not like that man. He is the bane of my existence."

"Uh huh, I'll keep that in mind when you see him next and give him a big hug."

"I'm not going to hug him. In fact, I'll stab him with that sword you're supposed to be procuring for me."

Cloud rolled his eyes. He shouldn't have mentioned Vincent. The ex-Turk had a way of leading the ex-General to distraction. "Forget I mentioned Vincent?"

"Gladly," Sephiroth said and smirked as if he were getting his own way.

"All right, back to the point before Vincent barged in and ruined the conversation," Started Cloud who noted the scowl on Seph's face. It tickled him and he had to steel himself inwardly just to get the next words out with a straight face. "I don't know if I can say it. You asked me if I…well, _you know_, and I didn't answer it completely. The answer is, uh, well, _yes_."

Sephiroth blinked a few times at that. "What?"

"Come here," ordered Cloud, who didn't wait for Seph to obey. He straddled the ex-General's lap, grabbed him by the face, cradled the back of his head with one hand, and used the other to hold his face in place. Then he hungrily crushed his lips to Sephiroth's in the way that only lovers do. He made all their other kisses look tame and childish by comparison.

And that's precisely the moment when two unexpected and uninvited visitors happened upon the pair making out on the hill.

One of the uninvited people cursed to the Lifestream and the other person shrieked shrilly until a window or two cracked beyond repair. Then the first person cursed again.


	12. CH11: Introduction

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Humor, Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth, Some fluffiness, Some angst, Implied Het

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><p>"<em>I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing<em>."-Socrates

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><p>CH11: Introduction<p>

The cursing man let the expletives fly as he gingerly landed his ship, The _Highwind_. He was torn by the fact that his ships windows were cracked and by the scene before him. It was hard to decide between fixing his baby and approaching his friend. Cursing heavily at his dilemma, he exited the ship and then stalked towards Cloud and…_Sephiroth_?

"WAIT FOR ME!" Demanded the 5'2" tall, tomboyish woman who had previously released a piercing scream. She looked a bit green in the face like she was about to throw up. Muttering about stupid men and their stupid ships, she chased after the blond pilot.

It was no secret that the short woman always suffered motion sickness when onboard a boat, airship, or vehicle. She preferred to have her own feet on the ground, thank you.

"Yeah, yeah, move your ass, woman!" Barked the very cross man as he glanced at her from over his shoulder.

"I'M PREGNANT! WAIT!" Shrieked the nearly hysterical woman. In spite of her large, rounded belly and small body, she ran after him, her steps nimble and quick like a ninja.

"Fuckin' women," loudly complained the angry pilot for everyone to hear.

"I HEARD THAT, CID!" Yelled the short woman, who had finally caught up with the pissy male. She swiftly smacked him over the head, nearly knocking his goggles off.

"Dammit, Yuffie, watch it! You fuckin' break my goggles and I'll get rid of all your mother fuckin' Materia!" Threatened the pilot known as Cid Highwind.

"YOU BETTER NOT!" Cried Yuffie in alarm. She was nearly hysterical at this point. On a good day, she was obnoxious and bouncy, but with her hormones flying off the handle, she was a living nightmare.

With his head turned to watch them, Cloud didn't budge from his spot on Sephiroth's lap. He was comfortable where he was and some part of him felt like staking a claim this way, if that made any sense.

Thanks to Cid's grating voice and Yuffie's shrill shrieks, his erection was long gone. He didn't have to look to know that Seph's was gone as well.

The ex-General looked very confused and uncomfortable. He didn't know who these crazy people were, but he found that he held an instant dislike for the pair. True, he had disliked Vincent, but that had been different. These two were more than just intruders on Cloud's private property. They were both obnoxious and made his head hurt.

"Cloud, what the fuck is going on here? Is that fuckin' **Sephiroth**?" Cid asked in such a way that he was practically yelling his head off. He was so aghast at the image he saw that he actually spat out his cigarette.

"_Cloud_!" Yuffie cried, sounding a little less high pitched than before. She was obviously happy to see her friend, who she hadn't seen in around a decade. She didn't seem to notice or care about the man Cloud was busy straddling.

"Hello…Yuffie, Cid. What brings you here?" Cloud asked in a calm, albeit annoyed tone of voice. He was irritated because 1.) They came here uninvited and 2.) They had interrupted his make out session with Seph. To put it bluntly, his friends were being cock blockers.

"You gonna answer my fuckin' Gaia damned question now or what, Cloud?"

Ignoring Cid, Yuffie was much calmer as she gazed at her friend. She didn't seem to take offence to Cloud's attitude. In fact, she was sympathetic, but that didn't stop her energetic rant. "Cid tracked Vincent here. We initially came to see him, because like you, that vampire of ours likes to live in isolation. Why? I don't know! I don't know why anyone would do such a thing when they have friends and family and girlfriends. He probably doesn't get any because he skulks around graveyards all day brooding over Gaia knows what and you guys are-"

"-Yuffie, no offence, but please shut up," sighed Cloud. He normally didn't like being rude by cutting people off in mid speech, but he felt it was necessary to. If you didn't interrupt the ninja girl, she would keep talking until the Chocobos came home and then some.

"Cloud…are they the _others_ that you spoke of?" Inquired Sephiroth, who lifted up a slender, elegant eyebrow in response to Cloud's friends.

The blond glanced at the ex-General and nodded curtly as he absently stroked Sephiroth's hair. He next looked back at his friends as if he found it necessary to keep an eye on them. Just because they were his friends didn't mean they wouldn't try something stupid. After all, they didn't understand, yet.

"Cloud, who are you sitting on?" Asked Yuffie, who walked around Cloud so that she could get a better look at the man he was sitting on. She froze on the spot as soon as she saw that it was _Sephiroth_. Her eyes widened and her lips curved into an 'o' shape.

The ex-Mercenary sighed again. "I'm guessing Vincent didn't talk to you two, yet."

For once, Cid was quiet as he glared at both Cloud and Sephiroth. He didn't understand what was going on, but he had a feeling Cloud would explain…whatever was going on. The pilot would be lying if he said he wasn't seriously freaked out by seeing Jenova's little puppet alive and well. But what bothered him most was how Cloud was acting around the madman. He was acting like a…protective _lover_…? It didn't make any sense.

Yuffie shook her head and watched the entrancing green eyes that gazed at her. There was something different about Sephiroth, but she couldn't put her finger exactly on it. He seemed…sane. The man was calm and even though he looked frustrated, he didn't look like he was on the verge of slaughtering them all. And like Cid, the Ninja felt inclined to let Cloud explain himself.

Bright blue eyes fell on Yuffie's enormous belly, which caused Cloud to be distracted. "Yuffie…what happened? You're…_pregnant_."

Yuffie beamed as if her enemy wasn't sitting a few feet away from her. "Yep! I'm eight months pregnant now and it's going to be a girl. We haven't decided what to call her, yet."

"…_We_?" Repeated Cloud as he glanced at Yuffie and Cid. It didn't take him long to put two and two together. He felt like laughing now, but he refrained from doing so.

"Yeah, we. Cid's the father. We're married now and yes, I know, he's lucky to have such a great girl like me! We have been married for a few years. I would have told you, but you _never_ answer your phone. I tried to send invitations to the wedding, but I didn't know where you lived and who knows where Vincent runs off to. You and Vincent were the only ones who didn't attend the wedding," explained Yuffie and there was genuine happiness brewing in her voice and face in spite of the fact that she was disappointed by Cloud and Vincent's hermit lifestyles.

They made a strange couple, Cloud thought to himself, but somehow it kind of made sense to him. They were both loud and obnoxious in their own unique ways. He knew that as long as the couple wasn't polar opposites, then the relationship would work out in the long run. The blond couldn't exactly judge since he was in love with his very male former enemy.

It was still an odd thing to get used to, though. His friends looked older and were more mature now. They had changed enough that he could notice all the new differences. Cid and Yuffie probably didn't realize how much they've changed, but if, like Cloud, you hadn't seen your friends in years, it's hard not to notice the changes.

Cloud knew that things would never be the same ever again. Just by looking at them and looking at Sephiroth. He shuddered to even look at himself. The ex-Mercenary wasn't ready yet to see how much he himself had changed.

The ex-General eyed Yuffie with an inscrutable look and then snorted quietly. Since he had determined that she and the blond man weren't threats to Cloud, he no longer had to pay strict attention to them.

It was going to be a long day, Cloud knew. It was better to just get it out of the way instead of drawing it out.

With great reluctance on his part, Cloud gingerly untangled himself from Sephiroth and rose up to stand on his feet. He slowly turned to face his friends and positioned himself in front of the silver-haired man just in case Yuffie and Cid got any funny ideas.

Sephiroth made to move, but Cloud immediately held out his hand in caution. "No. Stay right there, Sephiroth." He ordered grimly. The blond man usually only used Sephiroth's name in its entirety whenever he was in a somber mood.

The ex-General instantly ceased all movement and stayed rooted to the spot.

Cid scratched the back of his head. "You got _him_ trained like a dog? I'm fuckin' impressed, Spike," said Cid, his voice seeping with sarcasm.

Cloud ignored that. He could _feel_ that Seph was glowering at the pilot in what probably looked quite murderous. He was sorely tempted to turn around, but had to steel himself not to.

"It has been a long time, yes. I haven't been avoiding you guys. It's…well, it's hard to explain it, but I was avoiding everything. Don't take it personal because it had nothing to do with you. It may have made you feel neglected and shunted, but I won't apologize for my actions, or should I say, my lack of action," Cloud explained and nearly winced at how callous he came out sounding. He sounded like a jerk right now, but honesty was something he always tried to practice. The blond ex-Mercenary did feel kind of bad for isolating himself from his comrades, but it was still something he felt he didn't need to apologize for.

Cid didn't seem to take it so personal. In fact, he brushed it off completely as if Cloud brushing them off for a decade wasn't even anything significant. "Yeah, yeah, we get it, but would you fuckin' explain _why_ you have that raving lunatic as a fuckin' pet?"

Yuffie seemed to take it a little personally, but it wasn't completely her fault. "CLOUD! Why do you have to be so mean? We're your friends, you spiky-headed jerk!"

Cloud's eyes not only hardened, they darkened as well. In a low voice dripping heavily with warning, he drawled, "Don't call him that. And stop trying to instigate, Cid. I'm warning you right now…if you hurt one silver hair on his head, I will cut you down." Then he turned his attention to the pregnant woman, which seemed to soften his rigid expression. "Sorry for being so rude, Yuffie. I should have invited you inside and offered you a seat. It can't be good to stand on your feet for long…"

"Don't be silly, Cloud. I'm fine. All this is," started the ex-thief (_well as far as people knew, she wasn't a thief anymore_…_unless she spotted some Materia_), who gently patted her rounded belly, "is 30 extra pounds. I'm not bloated, my feet don't hurt, and no, I don't suffer from hemorrhoids. I only throw up if I eat or smell something that doesn't agree with me. Otherwise I'm fine, Cloud."

Cid rolled his eyes and muttered, "Don't forget about all the fuckin' raging hormones. She makes all the loonies look sane."

The ex-General didn't particularly enjoy that jab since somehow he knew it was indirectly aimed at him. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the pilot as he drawled, "Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you are insane? After all, you _willingly_ put up with that woman."

Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "Hey! Cid doesn't put up with me; I put up with _him_!"

Cloud cracked a small smile, yet chose not to comment.

The blond pilot blinked in disbelief. He peered at Sephiroth in silence for a few moments until he burst out laughing. He slapped his own thigh and then pointed at the silver-haired male. "I don't know what the hell you did with the other fuckin' Sephiroth, but this Sephiroth, I like."

"…" The green-eyed ex-Soldier didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. He opted for not saying anything at all in regards to it.

The blond ex-Mercenary fixed his eyes on his two friends and stated, "Of all things, I do owe you both an explanation. Follow me inside and I'll tell you everything. If you wish to stay the night, then you are allowed to use the guest room as long as you don't cause harm to befall Seph. Am I understood?"

"Fair enough, Spike. We won't do anything unless he tries to attack us," sighed Cid who in turn slipped his hand in his wife's hand. He was usually obnoxious and tended to act like a jerk, yet he had his soft moments, too. Well, at least when it came to his woman. He bore a rough, protective shell but underneath it all he wasn't a complete douche. There was a nice guy somewhere in there that actually cared about his wife, friends, and the planet. Even though for years Cid had been bitter about not fulfilling his dream of becoming an astronaut, he had come to accept that some things in life were much more important and rewarding than a mere dream.

The Materia hunter squeezed his hand and nodded. She was calm now, which was odd for someone like her. Normally she was very hyper and outgoing. The short-haired woman looked exhausted now as she gazed at Cloud with her caring brown eyes. "I won't hurt a hair on _his_ head unless he gets fresh with me."

Sephiroth scoffed.

"Gaia, I'm an idiot. And a rude idiot at that," Cloud remarked as he smacked his forehead. Turning to Seph, he said, "You can go ahead and stand now. Everything is OK. I want you to introduce yourself to my friends now."

Nodding and not too thrilled at the idea, Sephiroth gingerly stood up and walked over until he stood right beside the blond.

Cloud nudged him with his elbow. "Go ahead. Tell them your name."

"They seem to already know me, Cloud," the ex-General mumbled. For someone as powerfully built as him, he seemed so much like a child at times.

"Just introduce yourself. And make sure you're looking at them. Don't be rude now."

Still not turned on by the idea, the ex-Solider sighed and turned his attention on the married couple. In a low, calm voice, he introduced himself. "My name is…Sephiroth."

"Cid Highwind here," Muttered the pilot in the middle of lighting up his fifth cigarette.

"I am the champion of the earth and the sky. I am the conqueror of evil. I am the gorgeous wife of Cid. I am all that and more. And don't you forget it; I am the white rose of Wutai...Yuffie Kisaragi-Highwind!" Boldly introduced Yuffie with her characteristic smile painted on her face in spite of the fact that she was looking and talking to their so-called former enemy.

As if a reward for Seph's compliance, Cloud leaned up and with both hands, he pulled the taller man's face down towards his. He then kissed him chastely on the lips before he released his hold on his face. The blond didn't seem to notice or care about the bugged out expressions on his friend's faces. With a quick motion of his hand, he strode away towards the house.

Both Cid and Yuffie followed in silence due to their incredulity at what they had just witnessed. Their spiky-haired Cloud had just _kissed_ Sephiroth!

As soon as Cloud and friends had disappeared inside the house, the ex-General sighed and turned back to _that_direction again. He sat back down on the grass and patiently waited until Cloud either beckoned him or it became late enough for him to retire to bed.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Sephiroth slipped into bed and lay on his side so that his back was to the door. He stared out the open window and watched as the sun slowly sank down low in the sky until it was gone. Watching such a thing made him reflect on how he felt now: empty, cold, and distant.<p>

Every time he thought he had a solid grasp on something, it slipped away. It was hard to wake up and face a new day not knowing who you truly were. It was difficult to look in the mirror and not recognize that blank face that stared back. The face of an unwelcome stranger.

He was a stranger to himself, he knew this. He also knew, or rather felt, that there was a dark place inside of his being. A dark place he refused to find, let alone acknowledge. Even though he was desperate to know, to remember it all, there was a part of him that didn't want to.

Perhaps he didn't want to remember any of it because there was a chance that he would revert back into that uninvited stranger. The one that Cloud loathed with all his being. He knew the blond hated the old Sephiroth, the one he had been before his rebirth.

And that was the thing. The last thing he wanted was Cloud to hate him. He would rather die a thousand terrible and violent deaths than to have the man hate him.

Of all things, Sephiroth was only certain of one thing and that was Cloud. The blond man was the only rock he had, the only support and guidance that kept him on his toes. From the start of his resurrection, Cloud had been there. He had nurtured and taken care of Sephiroth since that day and continued to do so.

They had had their good days and bad days, of course. Seph knew he was far from perfect, yet he still failed to see any fault in the other male.

To Sephiroth, Cloud was perfection. He was his light, his salvation. He was his _everything_.

And now…as he lay in the dark room with the lonely moon casting its dim rays on his face, he felt as if he were losing Cloud. With each friend that happened upon them unannounced, it felt like each one of them were deliberately pulling Cloud away from him.

He found the thought too much to bear.

* * *

><p>Well into one in the morning, Sephiroth was stirred from his light, troubled slumber by the feeling of the bed dipping and a warm body settling in next to his. He remained frozen on his side and didn't bother to turn around. He felt the childish need to just lay there and feign sleep.<p>

Not the least bit fooled by this, Cloud curled up behind the taller male and slipped his arms around him, pulling him close. "I know you're not sleeping."

Sephiroth said nothing, but he didn't pull away, either.

"I'm sorry it took all afternoon and night, Seph. It took about an hour to explain and then a few extra hours to persuade them that you're not secretly plotting to kill me and destroy the planet. They believe me now, though," sighed Cloud and boy, did he sound weary. His voice sounded hoarse as if he'd been talking for hours. He then groaned as he further elucidated, "I made the mistake of asking Yuffie a personal question about herself and then she gave me her life story. Ten years worth of it."

"They are your friends. You do not need to apologize to me."

"Just shut up and take the apology, ok?"

Sephiroth snorted. "Fine."

"Cid has…uh, _graciously_ agreed to take us tomorrow to go get your sword. It'll be faster to travel by ship than by bike. We'll be back before you know it. How does that sound?"

"_Spectacular_," drawled the ex-General in what could only be described as dry sarcasm.

Cloud smartly slapped Sephiroth on his rear end. "Stop being an ass."

Sephiroth grunted, "Make me."

"I doubt such a thing is possible," joked the blond.

The silver-haired man peered over his shoulder at him. "I highly doubt there is a thing you cannot do, Cloud."

"I wish that were true," quietly mumbled the blond.

Upon hearing that, the green-eyed man rolled around until he now faced the blond. He pulled him close and stared at him without saying a thing. All his thoughts seemed to be rolled into one placid expression.

"I hope someday that people see what I see when I look at you," breathed Cloud as he gazed at the other man's serene, handsome face. He gently brushed the side of the Seph's face with the backs of his fingers. Even now as he lay in the other man's arms, he felt as if this moment, and plenty of other moments with Sephiroth was surreal. Or in other words, too good to be true.

Sephiroth shrugged. "I do not care what others see…just as long as you see it."

Cupping the side of the taller man's face, Cloud kissed him with fervor. Lips eagerly parted for him and his tongue dived in to get a more in depth taste of that cavern. It was so good and so sweet that he had to pull away and lay on his back, gasping and panting for more reasons than just the need to breathe.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because," Cloud started as he turned his head to peek at him. "If I don't stop now, neither of us will be getting any _sleep_."

"I could live with that," purred Sephiroth as he ensnared Cloud in his arms and nuzzled his neck affectionately.

"And you can live without it for awhile longer. Go to sleep, Seph."

Eyes sliding closed, Sephiroth didn't relinquish his hold on the smaller male as he murmured sleepily, "As long as you are here, I will never live without."

* * *

><p>AN: I chose Cid and Yuffie as a couple because…well, to me, they have a lot in common and this is fanfiction, which means I can do as I please. I figure if people can pair Vincent with Cid (even though those two have practically nothing in common), then I can throw Cid on Yuffie. So if you hate this pairing, don't worry about it because it's just implied. It's a side pairing. The main pairing is Cloud/Sephiroth, so focus on that one. ;)


	13. CH12: Initiation

Let Him In 

Chapter warning(s): Language, Flashbacks, Some references to violence, Humor, Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth, Some fluffiness, Some angst, Implied/slight Het, OC 

* * *

><p>"<em>Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.<em>_"-_Edgar Allan Poe 

* * *

><p>CH12: Initiation <p>

Sephiroth tried to ignore the curious dark eyes that seemed glued to his every move. Not that he was moving much, anyway. His jaw ground soundlessly while he kept his eyes focused ahead of him. He didn't particularly care for flying at all or for being watched like he was some fascinating animal.

The blond ex-Mercenary sat ahead of Seph in the co-pilot seat next to Cid. He was silent for the most part, but he did cast worried glances behind him at the ex-General every so often.

The blond pilot wasn't too thrilled about having a so-called _Ex_-psycho on board his baby, let alone sitting near his wife. There wasn't much he could do but gripe about it to himself since it was Yuffie who had insisted upon the seating arrangement. What that woman wanted, that woman got no matter how hard he fought her. Maybe that's why he loved her so much.

Even though Sephiroth had once been their enemy, Yuffie was taking him in stride. Out of Cloud, Cid, and Vincent, the Ninja was the only one who had almost immediately accepted Sephiroth for what he now was: not crazy. Yuffie believed that the man sitting next to her was sane. He looked sane, acted sane, and sounded sane, so by Yuffie's book, the ex-General was sane.

"You don't talk much, do you? That's funny because when you nuts, you couldn't stop talking, or should I say, _preaching_. You were always taunting us, especially Cloud," Yuffie pointed out casually as if she were talking about something mediocre, like shopping for groceries.

Sephiroth limply shrugged. "I wouldn't know anything about that. Sorry."

"So…you really don't remember?" Asked the Ninja as she leaned over some to peer at him more closely.

Without looking at her, the ex-Madman drawled, "So it would appear."

Yuffie was thoughtfully silent for a few moments until something else caught her attention. "You know…you're pretty good looking for a man. You're pretty hot when you know, you're not trying to kill us. You may not be my type, but a girl can still look."

Sephiroth sighed and rubbed his aching, throbbing temples. Her incessant talking was annoying him endlessly, but he did not want to appear rude to any of Cloud's friends, with the ex-Turk being the exception. He believed that he could be as rude as he liked to Valentine since that man had attacked him in an obviously failed attempt to kill him. Unlike the ex-Turk, Cid and Yuffie hadn't reacted with any threat of violence. He may not like them all that much, but they were behaving and they were making a conscious effort. That was why he had to give them some credit at least. He would show them as much respect as they showed him. But still, all Yuffie's references to his 'insanity' was bothering him immensely.

"Yuffie," started Cloud, who had turned and looked pointedly at her. Once he had her undivided attention, he then continued, "Please don't badger him about the past."

The weary ex-General sighed in relief at the interception of his savior.

The ex-Thief pouted. "Aw, Cloud, sorry. I didn't know he was so sensitive."

"Don't apologize to _me_," sighed Cloud, who then turned around to face the front again.

The pregnant woman sighed, too, and then turned her attention back to the silver-haired male. "Sorry, Sephie! I'm just really nervous, but it's not because of you. I just hate being in anything _moving_. I get really bad motion sickness, you see. Everyone always makes fun of me for it. It's a big joke to them."

Sephiroth's elegant pale eyebrow arched up at that. "_Sephie_…?"

The Ninja woman nodded as if she had been calling him that silly nickname for ages already. "Yep! That's what I'm gonna call you from now on."

"No," objected the increasingly growing irate ex-General.

"Yes! That's what I'll call you. You may not like it, but trust me, it's easier just to call you _that_ than your full name," stubbornly insisted Yuffie.

It was Sephiroth's turn to sigh. The woman had a point, he had to admit. He didn't like it one bit, but if her calling him '_Sephie'_ helped ease her discomfort around him, then he would allow it. "Fine."

"Yay!" Shrieked the pregnant woman who had mostly forgotten her motion sickness. It was strange, but she found that she actually enjoyed Sephiroth's company. He was a bit aloof and stiff like Vincent, but she liked him nevertheless.

Cloud cracked a small smile as he listened to Yuffie pester Sephiroth for the rest of the ride to Midgar. It surprised him that Yuffie was already so friendly with Sephiroth, but he was glad for it. He knew he wouldn't be able to expect the same from Barret or Tifa. Reeve possibly, because the guy was so…well, _empathetic_ was the only word at the moment he could think of to describe Reeve. Red XIII (or called Nanaki by mostly everyone) and Cait Sith would probably be very cautious around Seph, but he doubted that they would be openly hostile.

All in all, the blond warrior wasn't exactly looking forward to the reunion with the rest of his friends. There was no telling what would happen and he found himself desperately hoping that Zack and Aerith knew what they were doing. 

* * *

><p>Midgar was different. It didn't seem the same to Cloud at all. That wasn't so shocking, really. A lot it had been destroyed, reduced to nothing but rubble. It was just surprising to see that the city was no longer in shambles. It had been rebuilt and upgraded to the point that Cloud didn't recognize much of anything.<p>

The people of this new Midgar seemed different, too. They didn't seem to recall METEOR or any other past tragedies. It was as if they had forgotten everything. These people also didn't seem to remember the ex-General as he strode alongside Cloud.

Sure, Seph received a lot of curious stares, but that's all it was, curiosity and attraction. No hate, pain, or any other such animosity was directed at the former Shinra General.

Sephiroth didn't fail to notice all the people gawking at him as he passed. They stared at _his_ Cloud too, to his annoyance, but their stares lingered longer on the ex-General. He wasn't exactly certain why they stared at him, but he figured it wasn't every day that a 6'1" fit man dressed in black leather with long flowing silver hair strolled into their city.

"Where did your friends go?" Inquired the silver-haired man in an effort to distract himself from all of the inquisitive stares. Something about being stared at made him feel uncomfortable and on edge.

Glancing around, Cloud silently noted all of the different changes. They had been walking for over twenty minutes now and he had yet to see a single familiar face. Most of the people out on the streets and in the stores were younger than him. There were some around his age, but most were fresh-faced and young. These were not the faces of troubled and anguished people.

"_Cloud? Did you not hear me?_"

Startled from his thoughts by a large hand on his shoulder, the blond shook his head and looked up at the taller man. "Sorry, what?"

The ex-General frowned, yet he still clung to his patience. "I asked you where your friends have gone."

"Oh. Well, Cid took Yuffie to the doctor."

"She seemed fine when we saw her last…"

Cloud smiled at Sephiroth's naïveté. The man had once been a weapon of war and that had been one of the problems. He had never known about friends, lovers, family, love, and everything else that had to do with everyday life. It wasn't so surprising that everything that consisted of a normal life was foreign and new to the former General. "She's pregnant, Seph. Pregnant women receive regular checkups to ensure that the baby is healthy."

"Oh."

The ex-Mercenary suddenly halted in front of a shop that sported weapons and armor behind the reinforced glass windows. He studied it for a moment and read the shop's name and then sighed when he recognized the name. Turning to Sephiroth, he nodded and gestured to the store. "This is the place."

Because of the bright light shining into his enhanced eyes, Sephiroth had to squint his eyes to read the words on the sign. "_Yasu's Sword and Smith._"

"That's right," confirmed Cloud as he strode towards the door, which was strangely already propped open. With a quick gesture of his hand, he motioned for the other to follow as he walked into the shop.

As soon as the spiky-haired man had walked inside, he realized _why_ the door had been open. It was hot as an inferno in the shop. As he glanced around, he noticed dozens upon dozens of swords, guns, and other weapons mounted on the walls, safely in the display cases, or propped on the counter space. There were even various kinds of armored gear hanging on racks or donned on mannequins, some of which had weapons clutched in their plastic hands. He also noted a separate counter towards the back that led to another open door.

Intrigued by all the different kinds of weapons, Sephiroth walked slowly throughout the store, his leather boots barely making a sound. He didn't even notice when Cloud disappeared into another room. All his attention was focused on the blades glistening in the fluorescent lights. Something about them entranced him in a similar way that his Cloud did. They were deadly and beautiful, just like Cloud.

One sword in particular called out to the ex-General. Catching it out of the corner of his eye, he turned around and approached it like a stalking cat. Once he had reached the slender blade, which was mounted on the counter, he touched the metal with a gloved finger. Then he slipped his glove off and trailed his fingers lightly along the cool, smooth feel of the blade. He touched the slightly curved end of the sword and accidently cut himself. Glancing down at his finger, he stared as the slight cut clotted and healed almost instantaneously before his eyes. Not the least bit fazed by this, he touched the blade again but instead, he ran his hand in the opposite direction towards the hilt of the sword.

Curling his fingers around the hilt, he used his gloved hand to support the sharp end of the blade as he gingerly raised the katana off of its mount. Holding it in his bare left hand now, he felt the weight of it and noted that it was heavier than it looked. Yet something about holding it felt familiar to him somehow.

And that's when it hit Sephiroth. From his nightmares, he recalled seeing the _other_ Sephiroth wielding a sword similar to this one, yet in his dreams, it was several feet longer.

Lowering his arm, he would have dropped the katana if not for the clenched grip of his hand around the hilt.

Eyes unconfused, the ex-General saw images of himself, dressed in black leathers and armor, wielding _that_ lengthy dream sword in countless battles. He watched with eyes unblinking as the sword moved as an extension of his arm, effortlessly decapitating and slicing apart many enemies. He saw himself summoning the sword numerous times and it coming to him like a loyal beast. The ex-General could feel a peculiar attachment to this sword, this sword that had helped him take many lives. And in these memories, he knew that some of those lives had been the lives of _innocents_.

He then saw distorted images of blood and fire, screams and laughter. It was rounding up on him too fast for him to bear. These memories…these memories assaulted him at a pace that he could barely tolerate at all. It was hard to grasp, let alone accept all the repulsion, the horror, and the sickness that came with them.

Body slackened and eyes dilated, he witnessed that long sword clash against a much larger sword. A familiar sword: _Cloud's First Tsurugi._

Frozen in horror, he could do nothing but watch as the slender blade knocked aside First Tsurugi to then pierce rather violently through Cloud's body.

_No!_

The katana clattered noiselessly to the floor as he quickly sank down to his knees. His hands buried in his hair and gripping his locks tightly, Seph shook his head in denial. Watery eyes screwed shut tight; he rocked back and forth like a mental patient.

So…he had hurt Cloud. He had actually _stabbed_ him. Sephiroth had tried to kill Cloud. That explained all the scars on his Cloud's pale body. All those scars he would stare at and would trace with the tips of his fingers. Those very scars that upon question, Cloud had been hesitant to answer. He would either shake his head or change the subject.

_It was all his fault…_

A slender hand gently touched the top of Sephiroth's head. It felt much too small and fragile to be Cloud's.

Looking up at the person who stood before him, his green eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

It was a _girl_.

A short, petite young pretty woman with kind emerald green eyes and a long brown braid stood before him. Something about her expression was poignant, yet serene as she looked down at him with…familiarity? _Recognition_. This girl knew him somehow.

Sephiroth couldn't say anything for he was speechless. Why, he didn't know. _Who was this girl? And why was she here? What did she want from him?_

Sliding her hand down from the top of his head, she delicately touched him on the side of his face. Fingers tenderly brushed away the wetness that stained his cheeks. Had he been…_crying?_ Yes, yes, he had been crying.

"In another time and place, you and I would have known love for one another," softly said the green-eyed girl. She looked indescribably forlorn as she said this. The tips of her fingers traced the contours of his gorgeous face. Her fingertips, along with her lovely eyes, stopped momentarily to rest on his parted lips.

There was something in her voice, her touch, and her facial expression that made Sephiroth feel weak, so utterly _weak_. A different kind of weak compared to when Cloud touched him.

"Who…who are _you_?" Finally voiced Sephiroth as he gazed up at her, clearly mesmerized by her.

"You were supposed to be mine and I yours," she murmured, her hand moving to cradle the side of his face. "It was meant to be, destined even, but it did not happen."

Seeing himself reflected in her green depths, he breathed, "Why?"

"Not everything that's meant to happen happens," she whispered right before dropping her hand from his face. She then clasped both her hands together. "Sometimes someone or something _interferes_…"

Not comprehending what she meant, he tilted his head to the side as he stared at her.

"Everything will become clear to you soon enough. I just want you to know…" The girl trailed off as she leaned over, her face scant inches away from his. "…that I do not blame you. I forgive you, Sephiroth."

He was going to ask her _what _exactly she had forgiven him for, but as soon as he had parted his lips to speak; her petal soft lips were on his. Pressing her lips to his in what only could be a chaste kiss, she closed her eyes for a few timeless moments.

Closing his eyes, too, he felt something foreign, yet soft course gently through his being. He couldn't think of any way to accurately describe the feeling. It was light, it was calm, and it was tranquil. It left him flooded with something only Cloud had inspired in him before: hope and love. 

* * *

><p>"Seph? Everything ok? Who were you talking to?" Inquired Cloud as he knelt down in front of the other man.<p>

Opening his eyes, Sephiroth saw that the woman who smelled of flowers was _gone_. He quickly glanced around looking for the brown-haired woman, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Seph…?"

Somewhat distressed, Sephiroth looked at Cloud and inquired in exasperation, "Where did she go? There was a woman here with me. She was here. I know she was…"

"There's no one here, Seph. Just you and me," stated a concerned looking Cloud who reached over and touched Sephiroth's forehead with the back of his hand.

"I was talking to her and she was talking to me. Did you not hear her?"

"No, I only heard you talking. That's why I came out here. I heard a noise, and then I heard you speaking. I came out here and found you alone," explained the blond-haired man.

There was movement out of the corner of Sephiroth's eye. He turned and saw a dark-haired woman picking up the forgotten sword. She rose up from her kneeling position and gingerly placed the thankfully undamaged blade back on its mount. Staring at it for a few moments, she soon snapped out of her thoughts. She turned around and looked at the two kneeling men.

Standing at 5'0", she was short, but there was strength in her short stature. Her arms and legs were muscled to the point that it was obvious that she worked hard at what she did. The calluses on her hand were another testament to that fact that she labored away every day as a blacksmith.

It was obvious that this woman was of Wutai descent. A burgundy bandana covered most of her short blue black hair, which was tied in a tight pony tail. There was also a welding hat on her head, the visor tilted back so that she could see and breathe better.

The woman's eyes were almost as black as her hair. Something about them spoke of hardship, assertiveness, calmness, and maturity. She looked young in the face and fit in body, yet the crinkles at the corners of her eyes suggested that she was most likely in her mid-thirties.

Clad in what could only be deemed a blacksmith's outfit, she wore a long-sleeved navy-blue shirt, black slacks, and a blacksmith's apron. On her arms she wore worn out black gloves that reached up almost to her shoulders. On her petite feet she wore big black boots that were just as worn out as the gloves. Around her hips she wore several black belts of various sizes. One of the belts had two sword sheathes attached. At her hip she had a katana and a wakizashi. Something about the placement of the swords and the condition that they were in suggested that they weren't just there for decoration.

"I remember you," the woman said simply in a heavy Wutai accent as she stared down at Sephiroth. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as if recalling a particular memory. In an instant it was over and she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. In a voice unhindered by emotion, she added, "The _Demon of Wutai_. I never thought I would ever see _you_ again."

"I don't-" Sephiroth started, but he was cut off by the woman's raised hand.

Shaking her head, the Wutai woman didn't look the least bit bothered by his presence. She merely shrugged her shoulders and explained, "I know you don't remember. But I remember you. I remember you and Shinra's army invading my homeland. I was but a girl then, but I remember you. I saw you kill my father."

Sephiroth didn't know what to say to that, especially since her words sounded more like cold, hard facts than recollections. She should despise him and despise Shinra, but she didn't seem to have an ounce of hate coursing through her. It was as if she had done the impossible by accepting everything that had happened in the past.

"You only did what you had been ordered to do. My father would have killed you, too, but you were better. You were stronger, faster, and smarter. You bested him and the entire Wutai army. I will not lie by saying I was proud of the defeat, nor will I lie by saying I wasn't happy about Shinra's demise, but that was and still is all in the past," spoke the dark-haired woman as she offered her hand to him.

Sephiroth didn't understand it, but he got the distinct impression that if he didn't take her hand that she would be insulted. So he did. He reached up and clasped her hand in his. He nearly yelped as her hand closed around his and then jerked him up to his feet. Gaia, this woman was _strong_. He had not been expecting such strength from a woman, and a petite, short one at that.

"The name's Yasu. Cloud is an old friend of mine. From time to time, he brings his weapons here and I fix them for him," explicated the Wutai woman as she firmly shook his hand, and then released it. There was a slight smile on her tanned face as she added, "But imagine my surprise when out of the blue, he calls me and orders a sword to be made. And no, it's not just any sword. It's a special kind of sword. A sword for a certain dead General of Shinra."

"It's a…pleasure to meet you, Yasu," Sephiroth said slowly. He felt a bit awkward still since his social skills were still not up to par. Technically, Yasu was the fifth person he had met and talked to. Not counting the flower woman, of course. The green-eyed woman he wasn't even sure he had even met.

"Come along, Sephiroth. I have something to show you," revealed Yasu as she started walking towards the back of the shop.

The ex-General looked at Cloud, who in turned smiled and shrugged at him. "Go on, Seph. You heard her."

"Aren't you coming?"

"No, you go ahead. I have to make a call," said Cloud as fished a cell phone out of his pocket. With a look of encouragement, he nodded at Sephiroth, and then stepped outside.

Sighing, Sephiroth had little choice but to walk to the back of the shop and enter through the doorway to what looked like a blacksmith's force. It was extra hot in the room and it explained why the entire shop felt like a furnace.

"Over here, General," called Yasu.

Following the sound of her voice, he found Yasu standing near an anvil with a long sword resting on it. She held a hammer in her hand. Once he had neared her, she offered the hammer to him.

Taking the hammer, he looked at it in confusion and then looked at her. _What did she expect him to do with it? Hold it?_

Yasu held the long, slender sword down in place with a clamp. The blade itself was red hot and looked as if all it needed were a few final touches here and then. "This is your sword, General. I have one rule when I forge a blade and the rule is that the wielder of the weapon has to finish it themselves."

"Why?"

The Wutai woman said no more as she reached over and showed him what he had to do. She was patient as she instructed him on how to use the hammer and how to even everything out. Yasu was pleased that he turned out to be a fast, adequate learner and that he didn't mess anything up. Unfortunately, in the past there had been hopeless customers who had somehow ruined their order.

An hour or so later, Yasu slid the now completed and cooled blade into a sword sheathe. She held it out for Sephiroth to take.

The ex-General stared at it and hesitated as if being given a sword might be a bad idea.

"Sephiroth, a weapon, especially a sword, is but a tool for you to use. It does not make the man who or what he is. What you do with it is your choice," were Yasu's calm, wise words as she waited for him to take the sword from her waiting hand.

Nodding curtly, Sephiroth then reached over and wrapped the fingers of his left hand around the sheathed sword. He took it once the blacksmith had released it. Holding it in both of his hands, he stared down at it as he contemplated. Could he actually bring himself to use this?

Watching him patiently, Yasu then suggested, "Why don't you unsheathe it and try it out."

Slowly drawing the blade out of its sanctuary, Sephiroth held the sword in his left hand and watched as it glinted in the light. He noticed something else, too. There was this distinct feeling of completion as he held his sword. It was strange how tranquil he felt from merely holding this sword in his hand. It was much different than the katana he had held earlier. That had felt ok, but this…felt _right_.

"Your body remembers, General. Close your eyes and move. Don't think, just _move_," advised Yasu as she leaned against the wall and watched him with her arms crossed.

Following her advice, his eyes slid closed as he did his best to draw his mind completely blank. When he was ready, he started to move. And move he did, his body moving as one with the lengthy sword.

Yasu's voice broke whatever trance Sephiroth was in. "Open your eyes now, General."

Opening his eyes, Sephiroth was still moving. His body was moving in such a way that he remembered seeing in his memories. He smoothly parried his sword as if he was fighting an imaginary foe and the more he moved, the faster his blade sliced through the air. Instead of being horrified, he was amazed at this transformation. The woman had been right. Even though his mind had forgotten everything, his body still remembered everything.

"Looking good, Seph," complimented Cloud from his place leaning in the doorway. His arms were crossed and it was highly probable that he had been watching the entire time.

Sephiroth abruptly stopped moving and everything came crashing to a halt. He sheathed the sword and turned around to look at the blond warrior. Narrowing his green eyes, he asked, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," murmured Cloud with a cocky little smirk. He glanced over at Yasu. "You outdid yourself this time, Yasu."

Yasu waved a hand dismissively. She was a very humble person and didn't care much for praise. All she cared for was to know that she had done the job right and that nothing needed to be corrected. "He's right, General. You look good with that sword."

"Why do you keep calling me 'General'?" Inquired Sephiroth as he turned to regard the short woman.

The blacksmith cocked her head to the side and asked, "You were once a great General, were you not?"

"Yes, but that was in the past. You said that everything that's happened is in the past now," pointed out the ex-General.

"Ah, that is true, but that doesn't mean you aren't meant to be a General once more," said Yasu as she regarded him with a solemn gaze. "Just because you are no longer Shinra's General does not mean you will never lead anyone else. Whether you know it or not, you are a leader. And like Cloud, you are fit to lead men and women into battle."

Sephiroth wasn't so sure of that, but he didn't attempt to deny it, either.

"She's right," agreed Cloud who walked over to stand next to the silver-haired man. "You ready to go?"

"Hold on," said Sephiroth as he looked to Yasu. "Does this sword have a name?"

"It's yours now, General. You name her whatever you want to name her."

"Thank you, Yasu," said Sephiroth with a bit of a bow that was meant to honor her. Something about it was very Wutai-like.

Years ago, Yasu might not have been so accommodating to the man who had dominated her country, but that was then. This was now. The past had no place dictating what would happen in the future. The General would undoubtedly play a part in the future, be it good or ill of will.

Sephiroth was here now whether anyone liked it or not. 

* * *

><p>Before Cloud had had a chance to walk out of the shop door, Sephiroth had grabbed him and shoved him hard against the closest barren wall. Cupping the side of Cloud's face in one hand, the former madman rested his other hand on the wall beside the blond's head. He then leaned down and kissed Cloud so hard he was sure that both of their lips would bruise from the sheer pressure of it. Forcing his tongue into the blond's mouth, he was pleased when he felt the slighter man begin to kiss him back.<p>

"Mmm, someone's _happy_," commented Cloud as he gazed up at the ecstatic ex-General. "I'm taking that as a thank you…"

"Are we leaving Midgar now?" Inquired Sephiroth as he rested his forehead against Cloud's. He felt the blond's hand stroking his face. A thumb came into play to rub against the ex-General's lips as if the owner was tempted to wage an assault of his own.

"Soon. But until then, come here," replied Cloud as he leaned up and smashed his lips to the other man's. One hand cradled the back of Sephiroth's skull while the other hand ran down to grope the curve of the ex-General's taut ass.

"Well, well…I'll be damned, Cloud Strife is making out with a _Ghost_," came a masculine voice that was familiar only to Cloud. 


	14. CH13: Initiative

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, Some references to character death/violence, Humor, Some Yaoi M/M, Amnesiac Sephiroth, Some fluffiness, Some angst

* * *

><p>"<em>The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free."<em>- Oprah Winfrey

* * *

><p>CH13: Initiative<p>

Cloud didn't immediately part from Sephiroth. He let the kiss linger on for a few moments before he released the man with a not so subtle squeeze of his ass.

Irritated and flustered by the interruption, the silver-haired man turned around to face the speaker. He was getting awfully sick of all of Cloud's friends and acquaintances barging in on their intimate moments.

The clanging of metal banging against metal could be heard from the smithy. Yasu had already been hard at work for awhile now; however, during their make out session, Cloud and Sephiroth had blocked it out just as they had blocked out the noise that had drifted into the shop from outside.

"You have terrible timing, Reeve," complained Cloud with a sour look that reflected how Sephiroth felt.

"Or maybe _you_ have bad timing, Cloud!" Piped something that looked like a three foot tall black and white toy cat. It had a little gold crown perched atop its head, white gloves, and a little red cape tied around its neck. It was sitting on the shoulder of the man that the ex-Mercenary had called 'Reeve'.

Standing before them was a handsome man in his forties that was dressed in a navy blue trench coat. He was at least 5'11" in height and had a somber expression on his aged, white face. His dark eyes looked weary, yet they were tinged with kindness and empathy. His hair was black and short and matched his neatly trimmed beard and mustache. His name was Reeve Tuesti.

Sitting on Reeve's shoulder was the crowned cat thing. Sephiroth stared at it blankly and felt the mild impulse to smack it. If only it was closer…

What the ex-General did not know was that Cait Sith was an anthropomorphic remote-controlled plush toy cat that Reeve had created himself. Cait Sith was silly, outlandish, and playful. There were times that he could be really annoying, but he did serve a purpose as a reconnaissance robot and proved useful because of his prediction powers. In other words, even though the cat wasn't much of a fighter, he could at least predict which way someone should and could go.

As if sensing Sephiroth's ill thoughts, someone coughed. He glanced in the direction of the cough and saw Valentine standing nearby, but he not close enough to the man to indicate that he was Reeve's friend. He looked '_thrilled'_ as ever while he commented monotonously, "Those two are worse than teenagers."

Ignoring the cat, Cloud half smirked while he spoke, "Seph missed you a lot, Vincent."

A soft, yet rare smile played on the Gunman's pale lips. "Is it true, Sephiroth? Did you miss me?"

"SHUT UP! I did not miss you, Valentine," griped Seph as he crossed his arms and glared at the smug ex-Turk. He was irked by Cloud and Valentine at the moment and wanted nothing more than to kick their haughty asses. He hated it when they both teamed up together to tease him. It was a rare occurrence, but when it happened, he was tempted to throttle them both.

Cloud then mouthed, '_He's lying_!'

The ex-General didn't fail to notice that, which resulted in him shoving Cloud hard enough to make him stagger. "I am not lying…"

Reeve blinked. Then he blinked again. Well, this was odd. Sephiroth was acting…_human_. And here was Cloud Strife teasing the ex-General as if they were good friends. Stranger still, the ex-Turk Vincent Valentine, who was normally cold and aloof, was playing along, too.

It was hard to accept, let alone believe that Sephiroth wasn't insane. He was…changed. When Cloud and Vincent had both informed him of Sephiroth's rebirth, he didn't know what to think. Reeve could scarcely believe it, but he knew that neither Cloud nor Vincent would ever lie about such a thing.

"This is real, isn't it?" Murmured Reeve once he finally realized that this Sephiroth wasn't a monster. He was human. Well, human enough.

To everyone's surprise, Vincent was the first to respond. He nodded curtly and said, "Whatever he is, he is not our enemy. He is not the same Sephiroth we chased after over a decade ago."

No longer distracted by Cloud and Valentine, the ex-General narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized this newcomer and weird cat toy. He wasn't exactly pleased with all the eyes gawking at him or with the fact that he was being talked about as if he wasn't there. In a frigid voice, he inquired coolly, "_Who_ are you?"

Reeve smiled wryly at that. "You're as _charming_ as ever, Sephiroth. But yes, we're being rude. I am Reeve Tuesti." Then the short-haired man suddenly realized something. "You really don't remember, do you…"

Sephiroth slowly shook his head. He hadn't the faintest clue who this person was. "I do not remember enough for it to be substantial knowledge. I am aware of the fact that I have once lost my sanity and have murdered innocent people as a result of it. I also know that I have once tried to destroy the planet. While I know of it, I do not directly recall such events."

"Do you remember Jenova?" Reeve reluctantly, yet curiously asked. He was doing his best not to step on any crazy toes here.

"I have heard Cloud and Valentine mention _her_. But to answer your question, no, I do not remember that woman."

"How do you feel about all of this?" Asked Reeve before he could stop himself. He felt like kicking himself for sounding like a shrink. But still, he did not trust Sephiroth just yet. The man was going to have to prove himself without a doubt that he could be trusted. Reeve was fully intending on using Cait Sith to keep an eye on the ex-General. Just in case.

Sephiroth then replied in a dead-panned sort of voice. "How do you think I feel about it?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I'm not you," answered Reeve with a shrug of his shoulder.

Sephiroth sighed as he tried to search for the right words to describe how he felt. "I feel…well, the easiest way to describe it is that…I feel like impaling myself with my sword."

The silver-haired swordsman didn't particularly like revealing such a thing to Reeve or anyone else, but he knew it was important that he got along with Cloud's comrades. He was already aware that he had to somehow earn each and every bit of trust from each person. That was a task he knew would be difficult, if not impossible to accomplish.

Cloud narrowed his bright blue eyes at the ex-General. In a low, yet commanding tone of voice, he growled, "You had better never do such a thing, Sephiroth. Ever. Do you understand me?"

"Perfectly, Cloud," replied Sephiroth in a quiet, almost submissive manner. He knew better than to mess with the blond when he was in his top dog mood. The swordsman also knew that he was in trouble whenever the fusion sword wielder used his full name.

Reeve found himself astounded once more. Why? Because the former threat to the planet was obeying _Cloud_. What Reeve also noticed was that Cloud seemed to care a great deal about the ex-General. The man wasn't blind; he could tell just by what he had witnessed so far. It was all in the way Cloud looked at Sephiroth, teased him, protected him, and of course there was the whole kissing and touching him thing. Those were all indicators that the blond kid, no, blond man cared. Reeve was getting old to the point that he was rarely ever surprised by anything, but still, this…_thing_ would take some time to get used to.

Cait Sith was openly gawking at them as if Cloud and Sephiroth were giggling like schoolgirls hopped up on narcotics. For once, the robot was as silent as the dead.

"Is there a reason why you are here, Reeve?" Asked Cloud after he had fixed his vivid gaze on the short-haired man.

Reeve coughed. "Yes, I have come here to speak to you. I have sought you out for weeks now, but to no avail. I would have reached you by phone, but…you don't answer your phone these days. In fact, I haven't seen, let alone spoken to you in well over a decade, Cloud."

If Cloud felt any remorse or guilt, he didn't show it. "Get to the point, Reeve."

Sephiroth smirked. The blond's assertive and no-bullshit side of his personality was just as alluring as he was beautiful.

Clearing his throat, Reeve's dark eyes flickered to Sephiroth before he continued. "I am reluctant to speak of it in front of _mixed_ company…"

Cloud wasn't stupid or dim-witted in any sense. He knew Reeve meant Sephiroth when he had spoken of mixed company. He felt a tad bit on the defensive side as he almost coldly drawled, "Anything you say to me, you can say in front of my friends and that includes Seph. You might as well tell us right here and right now because whatever you say to me in private _will_ be relayed to Seph. I would prefer not to have to repeat anything you say, Reeve."

"Very well, Cloud," muttered the dark-eyed man as he sighed in defeat. After a minute or two of gathering his thoughts, he somberly continued, "There's something you should know. One of my WRO members stumbled upon troubling _evidence_."

The blond ex-Mercenary's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Evidence of what?"

"The _Jenova_ kind of evidence. We found a piece of her body. Not entirely sure which piece it is, but it's definitely from her body. She's not as destroyed as we previously believed her to be. We have the body part locked and secured…for now," explained Reeve without any hint of humor. There was something grave in his face and voice that implied just how dire the situation had become. This was obviously just the tip of the iceberg.

"There's more to it than just that, isn't there," guessed Cloud.

Reeve suddenly looked much older than he actually was. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Vincent here has told me that there have been numerous monster sightings and attacks all over the country and in neighboring countries. Even Wutai is having monster problems. It's…peculiar. I say this because I believe something is riling them up and spawning them at increased levels. I believe it is Jenova's doing, but I do not have proof of that just yet."

"There's something you're not telling us," quietly stated the blond.

The ex-General frowned at the news. It made him reflect on that Chimera monster and how it had tried to kill Hana. It made him remember how helpless he had been. If that was just one, and there were much more, what would have happened if there had been more than one? If there were many more out there, then that meant neither Hana nor Cloud was safe from harm and possible death. It made him feel _angry_.

"People are dying from a disease called Geostigma. But that's not all they're dying from," reluctantly spoke Reeve with a haunted look on his tired face.

Cloud wasn't sure he wanted to hear the rest, but it was best just to get it over with. He sighed, "What else are they dying from?"

"It appears that Jenova has…_help_," Started Reeve as he couldn't help but glance at the green-eyed man. It still made him shiver to be in the presence of the once great General. He clenched his jaw for a moment and steeled himself to continue on. "Her help comes in threes, it seems. There are three Sephiroth look a-likes, which I believe are his _clones_. They have been reported killing people and kidnapping children. They've killed some of my people, Cloud."

Cloud felt frozen. _More Sephiroth clones?_ He didn't say anything and only nodded slowly.

"Rufus Shinra is _dead_, Cloud. The clones killed him in an attempt to take Jenova's body part. I suppose it's a blessing considering that he was already dying from Geostigma," revealed Reeve with a slight respectful nod. He paused to let the information to sink into Cloud's brain. "Fortunately, one of my WRO members intercepted the body part before the clones could get their wretched hands on it.

"What about the Turks: Elena, Reno, Rude, and Tseng? Were they killed as well?" Inquired Cloud as he attempted to process all the information into his mind. It was hard to let it all sink into his psyche without it upsetting him. Already he could feel his teeth grinding in his mouth and his hands spasmodically clenching and unclenching.

"I don't know. Their bodies weren't found, but that doesn't mean anything," sighed Reeve. "Even though the Shinra company has been out of commission for over a decade, they were all steadily employed by Rufus for years. For what, your guess is as good as mine. I believe they were mostly paid to protect him."

If they were indeed alive, then _where_ would they go? Did the clones kidnap them? If not, then where would they go? They would need something to pay the bills. Being Turks, or ex-Turks in this case, there weren't too many options for them. No matter how rough around the edges they all were, Cloud found it hard to picture them as crooks. No, he didn't believe any of them would resort to being common thugs.

"I see," murmured Cloud. He didn't know what to say regarding that matter or the previous ones. Even though Aerith and Zack had warned him about Jenova's imminent return, he still had a lot to think about.

Reeve fished something out of the inside pocket of his blue trench coat and handed it to the blond. It was a card with his name on it and several numbers. "This is my business card. It has my personal number, my WRO office number, and other numbers that you may need. Don't hesitate to call me at anytime if you need me."

Cloud gingerly took the card, studied it at a glance, and then nodded his understanding.

A phone rang suddenly and no one moved except for Reeve. He flipped his phone open and answered the call while turning away as if for privacy. "Yes, this is Reeve. Who's calling?" He then placed his hand over the speaker microphone and turned to Cloud. "I have to go now, but it was a pleasure to see you again, Cloud. We'll be in contact, soon enough."

"Stay with them, Cait Sith," instructed Reeve. Nodding to Vincent and then to Sephiroth, Reeve strode away like a man on a mission.

The blond nodded slowly and watched as Reeve exited the shop and then slipped into a nearby car that had its own driver. The car immediately took off as soon as the door had shut.

"So…what are we doing now, guys?" Asked Cait Sith, who had recovered from the Sephiroth shock and from his temporary lapse of silence.

Three pairs of eyes settled on the robotic cat in what could only be described as unanimous annoyance.

* * *

><p>"What is this place?" Asked the silver-haired man as he curiously walked around the enormous stark white room. For some reason, he found white rooms very unpleasant, yet he did not know the reason why.<p>

The room was at least twenty feet high, fifty feet long, and forty feet wide. There was nothing in the room except for Cloud and Sephiroth.

"It's a training room. We're at one of Reeve's acquired training facilities. This used to belong to Shinra, actually. It was once used to train Soldiers…but, well, since the S.O.L.D.I.E.R program was terminated over a decade ago, no one has used this room since then," explained Cloud patiently as he watched the taller male gaze around in awe and _disgust_. He noted the disgust and saved it in his brain to ask the ex-General later about it. Now wasn't the time to dive into personal business.

"Why is it still here?"

"Reeve kept it preserved just in case Vincent or I needed it. I'll have to say I'm glad that he did. It'll make some things easier."

One of Seph's slim eyebrows propped up. "Hm. If the S.O.L.D.I.E.R program isn't in effect anymore, then _who_ protects Midgar and everywhere else?"

Cloud pondered that carefully for a moment before giving his answer. Truthfully, he wasn't sure. Ever since Shinra was shut down, he withdrew himself away from everyone and everything. The world had changed when he hadn't been looking and that length of time shunning the world had been too long. He knew that now.

"I honestly don't know what people do these days to protect themselves. I do know Reeve formed an organization that is called _World Regenesis Organization_, WRO for short. Reeve's sole intention was and still is, to use it in the hopes of rebuilding the Planet after the loss of Mako energy. It has its own army, but they're not likely to be _enhanced_ like you or me are. I guess you could say that the WRO's army has replaced Shinra's Soldiers. But unlike Shinra, Reeve actually gives a damn about saving the Planet and doing what's best for the Planet. He's not a bad guy, really. Reeve just doesn't trust you yet, but he will. If you show him that you're truly one of the good guys, he'll trust you. You know, he didn't even trust me or the rest of my friends at first," explicated Cloud in a quiet voice. He didn't particularly like dwelling on memories, but he couldn't exactly stop the flickers of memories dancing around in his head as he explained everything to Seph. "I'm also sure there are others who work as guards and Mercenaries. Almost like Vincent, except Vincent doesn't expect anyone to pay him. From time to time, he travels around killing monsters and settling disputes, I think. He doesn't stay in one place for long. What he does with himself is a mystery, but when we need him, he is always there."

"I see. I suppose this room is too advanced for _them_," stated Sephiroth as his eyes slowly continued to take in his surroundings. As an afterthought to quell the rising bile in his throat, he muttered, "There's _nothing_ here."

Cloud half-smirked. "Oh, don't worry, the training robots will enter as soon as I choose a specific training program. We won't be getting to _that_ right away, though. First and foremost, I will be running you through some hand-to-hand combat and then later some sword drills."

"_Hoo-rah_," mumbled the green-eyed man as he turned around to face Cloud.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun."

Sephiroth crossed his arms. "I doubt that. You're going to wipe the floor with me and paint the walls with my blood."

"Pffbt. I'm not gonna do that to you, Seph."

The ex-General remained unconvinced. One of his eyebrows arched as a hint to his skepticism.

Cloud sniggered, "All right, maybe just a little bit."

"That's not funny…"

The blond walked over, grabbed the man by the base of his skull, and pulled him down for a hungry kiss. After thirty seconds or so, he released him and promised, "I promise I will heal whatever damage I do to you. And…if you're really sore later, I will massage your body all night until you feel better. How does that sound?"

"_Wonderful_," drawled Sephiroth in his trademark sarcasm. He wouldn't admit it, but the idea of Cloud massaging him made him almost hope he was really sore after their training session.

Sephiroth wasn't afraid of pain or getting seriously hurt by Cloud. That thought didn't bother him one bit. There was something else lingering in the back of his mind that was causing him to be reluctant about training with Cloud. It was something he _feared_.

* * *

><p>Within a span of several unrelenting hours, Cloud had effectively trained Sephiroth at hand to hand combat. He had even instructed him on some basic martial art forms, as well. The ex-General may not remember how to fight, but his body certainly remembered. That was probably the reason why Seph excelled so quickly in every training exercise that Cloud mercilessly put him through. Even though the blond didn't go easy on him, Sephiroth did not complain and he did not break. It seemed that the harder Cloud hit him, the more determined the silver-haired man was to improve. Even if it hurt like hell, he didn't stop and he didn't ask, beg, or demand Cloud to stop.<p>

The blond was a stern, yet patient teacher that didn't aim to flatter the ex-General with compliments or batter him with insults. When Sephiroth made a mistake, he immediately pointed it out and when the man did something right, he also pointed that out. The best kind of training was the kind that pushed you to your limits without breaking you.

Pleased by the other man's progress, Cloud stopped the training and allowed a ten minute break for Sephiroth to rest and to hydrate his body.

Leaning against the wall, Sephiroth tilted his head back slightly to drink a few sips of water. Even though he felt physically exhausted by all of the intense training, he still did not require much water intake. In fact, he barely consumed more than eight ounces of water a day.

Watching Seph drink had been a _bad_ idea. Cloud tore his eyes away after a bead of water had escaped from the corner of the man's mouth to run down the long, strong column of his neck. Cloud coughed and attempted to think of other things that were far more unpleasant than watching Sephiroth _swallow_ liquid.

"I'm ready when you are, Cloud."

Nodding, the blond turned to Sephiroth and removed First Tsurugi from its place on his back. Holding it firmly, yet neutrally in his right hand, he waited for the ex-General to draw his blade.

Sephiroth didn't move. He felt frozen as he watched Cloud reach over his shoulder to draw his fusion blade. It wasn't that he didn't want to move, but he was incapable of actually moving. As he stared at the blond, he saw fragments of fire, blood, and pain. He even saw several gaping holes in Cloud's body. There was so much blood and so much pain and hate coursing from the slighter being.

"Seph? Seph, what's wrong?"

The silver-haired man didn't speak. He merely stood stock still with green eyes wide and unfocused. Even his slitted pupils were dilated.

Concerned for the other man, Cloud sheathed his sword in the usual place and slowly approached him. Once he stood in front of the taller male, he then cautiously waved his hand in front of his face. The pupils seemed to only enlarge more at this action. Frowning, he spoke again in an attempt to reach Seph. "Can you hear me? Seph? What's going on? Please answer me."

Sephiroth said nothing. He remained an unseeing statue.

Desperate to get a response, _any_ response out of the other man, Cloud unceremoniously smacked Seph's face hard.

The ex-General didn't react at all and remained unchanged by the action.

Quickly running out of ideas, Cloud ran his hand through his spiky blond locks as he tried to think. His eyes looked over Sephiroth until they landed on the water bottle forgotten on the ground. Struck by an idea he doubted would work, he grabbed the bottle, unscrewed it, and splashed the water on Sephiroth's blank face.

It _worked_.

Sephiroth blinked before he shook his head. He reached up and wiped the clinging droplets of water from his face. Confused, he looked around until his gaze zeroed in on the shorter male. "Cloud? What happened?"

Smiling wryly, the blond sighed in relief. "I was hoping you could tell me. For a moment there, I thought Jenova was starting to take control over you."

"I'm sorry," mumbled the ex-General with a frown.

"Don't be, it's not your fault," dismissed Cloud with a shake of his head. "Do you remember anything?"

Sephiroth's silver eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated on remembering. "I remember…training with you. Then later we took a break from it. I don't know what happened after that. I'm drawing a blank. Something is missing."

"You froze on the spot when you saw me take out First Tsurugi. Do you know why?"

The silver-haired man honestly didn't recall freezing on the spot, let alone Cloud taking out his sword. In spite of that, he did know why he would freeze up on the spot. "I think so, yes."

Interest perked at that, Cloud patiently inquired, "Care to tell me _why_ you would panic like that?"

"I didn't panic," denied Sephiroth as he crossed his arms.

"I think you did, but we don't need to argue about that. We need to figure out why you reacted the way you did."

Jaw clenched, Sephiroth was tempted to argue about it, but he refrained from doing so. Cloud had a point. Sighing, he dropped his arms as his sides. "Fine."

"Are you afraid to fight me using weapons? Or are you afraid of me? Or…maybe both?" Cloud guessed as he studied the brooding expression on the larger man's face. He was almost tempted to kiss that look away until he was left smiling.

"It is not you that I fear, Cloud," answered Sephiroth so quietly that the other had to strain just to catch it.

"Then _what_ are you afraid of? You can tell me, Seph. I won't tell anyone and I won't laugh at you. You know that."

Sephiroth saw flickers of a distorted image. It was an image of him whirling around in a long black coat as flames danced nefariously around him. Sword in hand, the crazed image smirked at him with deadly intent in his eyes. He then whispered, "_Me_."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I fear _me_. I am afraid of becoming what I once was. I hurt you a long time ago, Cloud, in so many unforgivable ways. I stabbed you and I tried to kill you," revealed Sephiroth. He felt both emotionally and mentally raw now and didn't know if he could keep this up. He was exhausted in body, mind, and soul.

"I see," sighed Cloud. He patted Sephiroth on the shoulder. "I think we'll call it quits for today. You need to rest. We'll figure it out tomorrow, ok?"

Sephiroth nodded slowly as he felt relief rush though him. He had been worried that Cloud would have demanded that they try it again. He felt bad about it, though. The ex-General really wanted to learn how to use his new sword. He so desired to be able to fight alongside Cloud and to protect the blond from the ominous threat that he could feel looming in the distance.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Cloud had Sephiroth positioned on his stomach with the ex-General's chin propped on his arms as the blond massaged his bare feet and naked legs. The green-eyed man was naked save for a snug crimson towel that belonged to Valentine (<em>which would probably piss the gunman off) <em>wrapped around his waist from his recent bath.

Cloud carefully soothed each muscle in the other man's strained, yet well-toned legs. He patiently took his time working each and every muscle until he had eased the tension out of it.

Sephiroth was sore as hell, which caused him to jerk away every now and then when the smaller male had touched a particularly tender spot. Besides that, he was actually enjoying the sensation of having skilled hands melt away all the tight pain in his body. Each pinch and rub was just right to the point that he felt himself becoming putty in the blond's sure hands. When he felt the hands start on his taut gluteus muscles, he felt himself beginning to fall asleep. If it had been any other person touching his ass, he would have kicked their ass in a heartbeat. But this was Cloud. The blond man could touch _every_ part of his body anywhere and at anytime to his heart's content.

"How does that feel? Better? Or worse?" Asked Cloud as he started working all the kinks and knots out of the ex-General's lower back.

Startled by the sudden sound of Cloud's quiet, monotonous voice, Sephiroth didn't immediately answer. His mind was a bit fogged as he grunted, "Better," although he still felt some soreness in the rest of his body. He felt as if he was being lulled to sleep, yet something else was stirring in the pit of his belly. His skin felt a tingling, feverish sensation whenever Cloud touched him to the point that it was starting to make him desire _more_ than just a simple full body massage.

After Cloud had finished the upper back and neck area, he leaned over and lightly pressed his lips to Sephiroth's right shoulder blade. "Done. Turn over."

The spot where he had been kissed burned, but in a good sort of way. The taller man grunted, but did not budge from his sprawled position underneath the slighter male.

"Come on, Seph. I have to do the other side now," urged Cloud as he ran his fingers through Sephiroth's silver tresses. It still amazed him how Sephiroth didn't need to take that much care of his hair and how it rarely tangled despite how fine and long it was. It was like the ex-General in a lot of ways; tough and resilient, yet beautiful all the same. Like Sephiroth, it required attention every now and then, but it could do well on its own for awhile.

"Do I have to? I feel fine now," protested Sephiroth. There was a slight whine to his voice that indicated that he was possibly ashamed of something.

Not missing a beat, Cloud quickly figured out why Sephiroth was so reluctant to turn over. He laughed, "Yes, you have to. Trust me, I won't laugh. It's OK if my touch turns you on." The blond then leaned over and pressed a kiss to Sephiroth's ear right before he lowly whispered, "Believe me, Seph, touching you is having an effect on me, too."

Sephiroth felt his face flush with heat at Cloud's words and proximity. He suddenly felt awkwardly shy now. But why? He hadn't been shy all the previous times that Cloud had touched him intimately. Yet somehow, this time felt _different_.

"Are you going to willingly turn over or do I have to flip you over myself?"

The silver-haired man turned his head to glance at him. He narrowed his eyes before he stubbornly dared, "No. I would love to see _you_ try to flip _me_ over, though."

The blond-haired man also narrowed his bright eyes as he stared at the ex-General without blinking. As of late, Sephiroth had been getting bolder with his words and with his actions. At first, it had started off small, occurred rarely, and didn't seem like much of a problem. But he could already tell that it was growing into a problem. Sephiroth obeyed him most of the time, but there were times that he deliberately disobeyed him. It was as if he were purposely trying to get a rise out of him, to test the waters, so to speak.

Cloud didn't like it one bit. It was seriously starting to tick him off. Sephiroth was supposed to do what he said, when he said it. In order for things to continue going smoothly and for the Planet to be saved yet once again, Sephiroth had to learn his place. He would have to learn that there could only be _one _alpha.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks to a certain reviewer for pointing it out, I realized that I had forgotten all about the Turks Tseng and Elena. There's so many FF7 characters and I'm working on various stories. Sometimes it's hard to keep up with everything. If you ever notice anything, please do point it out. I appreciate it. :) Anywho, I edited the chapter and added Tseng and Elena. My bad!

_Sorry for cutting it off at the good part, but the chapter was becoming too long and I needed to get it submitted before bed. I'm sure you guys will LOVE the next chapter, though. ;) As always, thanks for reading and feedback is greatly appreciated. :)_


	15. CH14: Rapture

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Language, M/M Yaoi Sex, Slight Foreplay, Anal, Fingering, Bottom Sephiroth, First Time

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><p>"See me down, see me out<p>

See those wings you gave me  
>Watch me fly across the sea<br>Count the ways you made me

I walked in circles, walked the line  
>Tripped through tangled heart strings<br>Made an enemy of time  
>Made a mess of all things<p>

I have thought and think about, what and how to tell you  
>I have lived it seems without learning how to be true<p>

But I meant every word I said, from deranged to divine  
>And I would do it all again, as if for the first time<p>

The hurt that the head forgets, the heart will always remember  
>The hold that the hand regrets, the heart remembers forever<p>

I am sorry, I am so, for the things you don't know  
>And as for the things you do, I am sorry for those too<br>Out of every broken heart, broken rule and promise  
>I have made a rescue raft and sailed towards you on it, on it<p>

The hurt that the head forgets, the heart will always remember  
>The hold that the hand regrets, the heart remembers forever<p>

Do you, do you want me?  
>Do you know how to show, how to show these things?<br>I just didn't want to have to ask, I just didn't want to have to  
>Least of all people, you<p>

Should you find someone, with whom there's no shiver or shout  
>With whom never to assume too much rain or a drought<br>Scratch your name into her heart, scratch away all the doubt  
>Scratch my memory from your brain, I'll scratch her fucking eyes out<p>

I was put together wrong, still I was made for you  
>When our stitches come undone, we come together like glue, like glue."<p>

"Do you" by Carina Round

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><p><span>Do NOT read if you are a minor andor can't handle reading about men having graphic sex with each other. Don't like, don't read. You have been warned.

* * *

><p>CH14: Rapture<p>

The blond man's normally bright eyes looked darker in the way that they resembled burning pools of dark blue liquid as he stared intently as the man beneath him. Not bothering to reply, he grabbed the larger man and effortlessly flipped him onto his back. He then pinned Sephiroth down with the man's wrists crossed and held down together over the ex-General's head by only one of the blond's hands. It all happened in a matter of seconds and left the other man stunned by Cloud's show of dominance and strength.

Even though Seph was fully aware of how quick and strong Cloud really was; the reality of it hit him hard as soon as it registered in his head that he was pinned down. The silver-haired man tested his arms in an attempt to yank them free, but it was in vain. The blond's iron, vice-like grip only tightened more around his wrists. The man couldn't even feel his hands anymore since they were beginning to numb from the lack of circulation.

Cloud smirked down at him, obviously amused by his plight.

Irked by the smug look on the blond's face, Sephiroth glared up defiantly at him. He had the distinct urge to wrestle, to fight him, but not to harm Cloud. In a renewed effort to free himself, he squirmed madly and bucked his hips wildly in an attempt to throw off the lighter male. That course of backfired horribly on the ex-General since the action itself caused his bare skin to rub deliciously against Cloud's clothed body and his towel-clad groin to rub against Cloud's groin. He immediately stopped fighting due to the intense sensation of his nerves responding to the friction of the blond's body. The will to fight back left him just as suddenly as it had come. It was quickly replaced by the stimulating, heady feeling of sexual arousal.

"This is how you must have been before _it_ happened," remarked Cloud with a slow roll of his hips, his erection rubbing torturously against Sephiroth's own.

"What do you mean by _it_?" Grunted the silver-haired man distractedly as he tried to think lucidly. It really didn't help that Cloud's crotch was pressed against his own in a most enticing manner. The slow, torturous movement of the blond's hips was enough to make him feel as if he were slowly losing whatever sanity he had left. It was growing more difficult to focus on anything else except for the pleasurable feeling.

Leaning over the taller male, Cloud's face was a hairsbreadth away from Seph's wide-eyed, aroused visage. In a low voice, he said, "Before you lost your mind to that _bitch_. And before you started believing you were an inhuman monster." The blond then closed his eyes and paused for a moment as if he were seeing something from behind his eyelids. Within moments, he opened them again and stared at the nearly naked man. "You were a man once. You were kind and respectful; strong and brave. Everyone wanted to be just like you. Even your friend Genesis longed to be like you, but maybe not for the same reasons as everyone else. And as a kid, I looked up to you and adored you. More than anything, I wanted to be like you. A hero. _But_…"

Sephiroth blinked. He tried not to be distracted by Cloud's close proximity, but it was hard. It was increasingly hard to concentrate on what the blond was saying whenever he felt those slim hips intermittently jerk hard against his. "But…?"

"But for all of your seemingly godlike perfection, you lacked one vital thing. You lacked something that had been denied to you since birth. Something no one ever believed that you needed," answered the blond with sympathy laced in his words. There was also anger, but the other man could tell that the anger was not directed at him.

Perplexed by that answer, Sephiroth couldn't think of what he meant by that. What was so vital that a person couldn't live without it? "What was it?"

"Love," the blond said simply as he caressed the side of Sephiroth's pale face with his free hand. He smiled softly when the ex-General leaned into the touch almost like a cat. "Love is a _human_ emotion, feeling. We all need it despite what some may believe. Without it, we succumb to hate and hopelessness, which ultimately leads to death and destruction. As weak as love feels at times, it is actually stronger than even our most basic instinct to survive."

"Cloud…"

The blond warrior closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Sephiroth's. He didn't stop stroking the side of Sephiroth's face as he nearly whispered, "How alone you must have felt…back then. You struggled with it, yet you did not show it. You were even more alone than I was back in Nibelheim as a boy. I wish…I wish I had known. I wish I had reached out to you then. I would have given you what you so desperately craved, needed…" Trailed off Cloud. His eyes then fluttered open to reveal a determined gleam shining brilliantly in his dark blue depths. "I know I can't change the past. I know that. But I am here now and so are you. I can give you what you need, but only if you let me."

Speechless by that declaration, Sephiroth didn't know what to say. The only sound that left his mouth was the one word that he seemed to breathe. "_Cloud_…"

Kissing hotly at Sephiroth's neck, the blond's mouth left a smoldering, wet trail in its wake. From past experience, he had remembered that Seph's neck was one of his erogenous zones. He mentally mapped out every inch of delicious skin as he trailed his mouth downwards. Reaching his Adam's apple, Cloud swirled his tongue around it right before he sucked it hard enough to leave a mark.

Head tilted back, the silver-haired man groaned lowly from the ministrations to his neck. Something about Cloud kissing, sucking, and biting at his neck always left him needy and breathless. He was sure if they had been standing now, his knees would have buckled.

Moving his mouth to the other side of Seph's neck, Cloud found his pulse point easily enough. His tongue massaged it and as it did, the blond could feel the man's heart beating through his neck. Wanting to feel more of that teeming life force, the spiky-haired male sucked at it as if he could consume it with his mouth.

Sephiroth's moans were low and breathy as he felt the blond's mouth on his pulse point. The teeth scraping against it and the beautiful suction of that mouth drove him crazy. Something about that particular part of his neck was far more sensitive than any other area on his neck. It was powerful enough of a sensation to leave him feeling incredibly weak and flustered. He was so hard that it hurt and he could feel himself _leaking_.

Shuddering at the sound of the other man's erotic moans, Cloud abruptly stopped torturing Sephiroth's neck. He opted for moving up to the man's ear and catching his earlobe in his teeth. Sucking lightly on it, he bit hard enough for it to hurt, yet not hard enough to draw blood. He grunted when the man underneath him jerked hard, their cocks bumping roughly against each other.

Dragging his free hand down to grip roughly at Sephiroth's hip, Cloud ground his hips into the ex-General's. Although it helped to relieve some of the pressure, it only made him desire more from the man beneath him. It made him want to instantly shred his own clothes and to rip away that hindering towel wrapped around Seph's lower body. He desired to know the feel of naked flesh on flesh. With each passing second, he wanted more and more. Cloud wanted it all.

With his breath rolling against Sephiroth's neck, Cloud whispered hotly, "_I want you, Seph. I want all of you_."

Panting lightly, the silver-haired male nodded absentmindedly. It wasn't clear whether he fully understood Cloud's intentions or not.

Being the more experienced and controlled of the two, Cloud knew he needed affirmation first before he did anything else. As turned on as he was now, he wasn't about to rape Sephiroth. No matter how aroused Seph was, if the blond did something he wasn't ready for, that still counted as rape. He wasn't about to hurt him or force him to do something he wasn't willing to do.

"Seph," said Cloud as he released the man's wrists. He used that hand to grab the man by the face and force him to look at him. "Are you ready for this? I'm not going to do anything you're not ready for, or don't want, so tell me now. Tell me what you want."

Sephiroth blinked. He didn't quite understand where Cloud was getting at. He knew he wanted something, but he wasn't sure what. All he knew was that he didn't want Cloud to stop. "Don't stop, Cloud."

"I won't stop, but if you need me to stop at any time, you better tell me," directed Cloud. He then smiled when he had noticed that Seph still had his arms over his head as if they were still being pinned down.

"Cloud, if you stop again I will kill you," growled Sephiroth, who was growing more impatient by the ticking second. He didn't know exactly what he wanted, but what he did know was he wanted more contact.

The blond chuckled at the threat before he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on the other man's slightly parted lips.

As if he had suddenly realized that his arms were now free, Sephiroth gingerly moved them. He was relieved to feel that the circulation in them had returned to normal. Rubbing his sore wrists, the ex-General slowly sat up. Staring intently at Cloud, he decided that the beautiful man was wearing too much clothing. "You should wear _less_," murmured Sephiroth as he reached over and started impatiently removing the other's restricting clothes.

Cloud, straddling Sephiroth's lap, aided him quickly and efficiently in removing his own clothes. As horny as he was now, he still didn't want to wake up to shredded clothes strewn carelessly all over the place.

Once the blond was gloriously naked, Sephiroth kissed him hard and forced his tongue into his mouth. He could feel Cloud returning the kiss just as hotly as the man's strong hands ran down his backside to cup his ass. He shivered at the possessive touch, which then triggered him to grind his towel clad crotch against Cloud's.

Annoyed at the feel of the towel, the blond yanked the towel away and flung it in a random direction. Returning his hands back to Sephiroth's perfect ass, he hissed when he finally felt the hot, delirious press of naked flesh against naked flesh. As much as he wanted to draw this out, he knew they were both in need. He had waited long enough already and he didn't know how much longer he could wait to find relief. There would be plenty of time to explore each other later.

"I want to make love to you, Seph," confessed Cloud in a voice so quiet and low that even with his enhanced hearing, the ex-General had to strain just to hear it.

Sephiroth felt even more heat flare up in his body upon hearing such an intimate confession. Every word and every touch from Cloud was so hypnotizing to him. At times, he felt like this wasn't even real and that this was all some surreal, beautiful dream that he hoped he didn't wake up from. If it was real, then it was real, but if it was not real, then he didn't ever want to awaken.

Pushing Seph back down on his back, Cloud rose from the bed and searched from something in one of the bedside tables. Once he had found it, he grabbed it and then crawled back on the bed. Noticing the ex-General's curious gaze, he held the item up for him to view. "It's lubricant, Seph. It's going to make it good for us both."

Satisfied with that explanation, the emerald-eyed man nodded slowly in understanding.

"Spread your legs," ordered Cloud as he settled in between the other man's long legs. Damn, this man's legs went on for _miles_. It was no wonder why he was so tall.

The silver-haired man didn't feel the least bit awkward or embarrassed as he spread his legs for the blond. He then used his elbows to prop himself up so that he could watch what Cloud was doing.

Gently guiding Seph's legs wider apart, he then squeezed a generous amount of lubricant onto his hand. Rubbing his hands together so that each finger was nice and slick, he then positioned one finger at the man's entrance. Leaning over Sephiroth, he watched his face carefully as he delicately wormed one finger inside all the way to the knuckle. Once inside, he wriggled the lubricated finger around. He felt Seph's body clench tightly around his finger in an effort to push him out. He sighed, "Relax, Seph, relax. It feels weird now, but if you don't relax, it will hurt you more than it has to."

Sephiroth grunted, but otherwise said nothing. It was obvious by the concentrated look on his strained features that he was attempting to will his protesting body to relax.

In an effort to help distract the tense man some, Cloud used his free hand to stroke Sephiroth's neglected, swollen cock. It jumped at his touch followed by a low moan dragged out of the ex-General's mouth. It worked.

Distracted and more relaxed now, Sephiroth spread his legs as far as he could get them to go.

Taking this as a hint to continue, Cloud carefully pushed in a second finger. Once it was all the way inside, he slowly made scissoring motions with his two sheathed fingers to help stretch Seph out some. With the grip around his fingers being tight and hot, Cloud found it increasingly hard to concentrate on preparing him. He could feel perspiration building up on his forehead that eventually formed into beads and rolled down his face. Even the silver-haired man was covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Cloud," the ex-General groaned while he wriggled his hips around some as the hand on his dick continued to pump him. The feeling of fingers in his ass and moving around was foreign and odd, but a part of him liked it. It didn't hurt. It just felt strangely uncomfortable, yet good at the same time.

"Hmm?" Cloud made a noise in his throat while he added a third finger to the mix. He slowly drew all three fingers apart, gingerly stretching him wider without tearing anything. He repeated the action a few times in the effort to get the man prepared for something much larger and longer than any of his fingers.

"Did you lock the door?" Asked Sephiroth, who was now laying back without the support of his elbows. He had one arm thrown over his eyes and the other arm was lying on the bed with his fingers clawing at the sheets.

"I don't know or care. If someone is stupid enough to barge into my room, I will kill them," drawled Cloud with a dark look in his hooded, lust glazed eyes. He then curled his fingers and smiled when Sephiroth had suddenly cried out in jolted pleasure. Ah, he had found Sephiroth's secret little G spot.

"Nngh, Cloud!" Stunned by the intense wave of ecstasy that had suddenly struck him, Sephiroth didn't know what the hell that was. All he knew was that he wanted _more_.

Driving his fingers in and out of Sephiroth's body, Cloud watched in fascination as the other man eagerly responded to him. The ex-General was obviously into it if him rolling his hips, forcing himself deeper onto Cloud's thrusting fingers was any indication of that. Sprawled out like that in open invitation, Cloud found it hard _not_ to jump him then. Gaia, the man was so incredibly sexy.

"Cloud," grunted Sephiroth as he pushed himself up onto his elbows again. He looked at the blond with an expression that was just as imploring as it was demanding. "Enough. I want more, _now_."

Shivering at the command in Sephiroth's voice, Cloud suddenly shook his head and then ripped his fingers out of the man's body. Shoving the ex-General until he was flat on his back, the blond knelt between the green-eyed man's splayed legs. Grabbing the tube of lube, he generously squeezed out more of the lubricant and when the other man was watching him, Cloud slowly applied the lube over every single inch of his erection.

Beyond painfully aroused now, Sephiroth shuddered as he watched the blond stroke himself with his lube slickened hand. He found himself envying Cloud's hand as he watched him touch himself. In the back of his mind, a part of him wondered how he was going to fit that huge thing inside of him.

"Relax, this may hurt some. Just relax as much as you can, Seph. I promise it will get better," Cloud said softly and then he was suddenly looming over the taller man. Crushing his lips to Seph's, he continued to stroke the man's cock as he began to ease the blunt head of his own dick into Sephiroth's stretched orifice. Instead of just shoving inside or pushing all the way in, Cloud opted for slightly rocking his hips. Inch by painful inch, he slowly rocked his cock into Sephiroth's tight, velvet heat until he was balls deep inside of him.

Eyes screwed shut, Sephiroth panted while he did his best to relax in spite of the feeling that felt as if he were being split into two. Even though it had hurt somewhat at first, it had eventually dulled into a burning sensation that was neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

Resting his forehead against Seph's, Cloud breathed shallowly as he waited for the other man to adjust to the feeling of the intrusion. It was impossibly hard on his part not to move, not to pull out and slam back in, but he still waited. With great patience, the blond waited for the other to be ready. While he waited, he nuzzled Sephiroth's face with his own as he lazily stroked the silver-haired man's erection. With his other hand, Cloud freely explored Seph's body. Trailing fingers teasingly across the planes of his chest, he pinched and rolled each nipple into hardness. He then dragged his fingers over the well-defined, slick with sweat abdominal muscles. The touching was light and teasing, but it did what it sought to do. It relaxed and distracted them both.

Opening his eyes, Sephiroth looked at Cloud and nodded. He was as ready as he'd ever be.

Kissing the ex-General's neck, the ex-Mercenary pulled out and then shallowly pushed back into the tight, slick sheathe. After a few more shallow thrusts, he could feel one hand almost tentatively gripping the back of his neck while the other held onto his back for support. Even though he burned to go faster and harder, he kept it at a slow and gentle pace. It wouldn't be hard and brutal like some fucks could be. No, if anything, he wanted Sephiroth to remember his first time with Cloud as something special.

It wasn't long before the ex-General started rolling his hips and pushing against Cloud in an effort to gain more sweet friction. He could not recall if he had ever done this before in his past life, but if he had, he hoped it was at least half as good as this was.

Encouraged by Sephiroth's response, Cloud angled himself and started to thrust into him a little deeper and harder. He kept the pace slow as he rocked into the man's responsive body. The moans from the ex-General were low and sensual which only served to push him to drive all that much deeper into the pliant man. Angling himself more, the spiky haired male drove into his tight vice particularly hard.

Sephiroth cried out when he felt something blunt slam against his prostate. Clutching Cloud tighter to him, his long legs immediately wrapped around the blond's waist in an effort to pull him in as deep as he could. "Cloud, again. Do _that_ again…"

"Sir, yes, sir," grunted Cloud as he continued to slam into Seph's tight heat from that same angle. As tight and good as he felt, the blond didn't know how long he could hold out. Judging from the tight pressure coiling inside of his belly, it wouldn't be long. Until now, Cloud had been celibate for years.

"More," moaned the insatiable silver-haired man as he did his best to meet every thrust into his responsive body _and_ to thrust into that pumped him in rhythm to each penetration. It was too much, way too much. The double stimulation was lighting all his nerves on fire to the point that he felt as if he were about to explode.

It only took a few more strokes to Sephiroth's swollen cock until he had finally reached the point of no return. It wasn't until Cloud slammed against his sweet spot that he felt ultimate bliss erupt throughout his soaring body. Suddenly, everything was _white_, but a good kind of white and with it came an ecstasy beyond anything he'd ever known. It ripped through his being in such a way that he felt free and utterly weightless.

Sephiroth felt as if he were _flying_.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, how was that? I hope you guys are happy now! I bet you were expecting Reno or someone to break through the door or something, huh? Anywho, please let me know how you liked it since I worked so hard on it for you. :P


	16. CH15: Dissolution

Let Him In 

Chapter warning(s): Language, Dark themes, Angst, Some Torture, Character Death(s), Some Blood/Gore, Some M/M Yaoi 

A/N: I just want to warn you guys that Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz aren't going to be exactly the same as they were in AC. In other words, they're going to be less childish and more bad ass. I hope you don't mind. ;) 

Also, Thanks a bunches for all the awesome reviews, guys. :) I really appreciate all the feedback! 

* * *

><p>"<em>And our screaming<em>

_Is in his screaming_

_Our screaming in the willow_

_They took him to the gallows_

_He fought them all the way though_

_And when they asked us how we knew his name_

_We died just before him_." 

- Excerpt from Cocorosie's "Gallows" 

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><p>CH15: Dissolution <p>

"Just tell us where _Mother_ is and this will all go away," hissed the voice of a desperate adolescent boy.

Another voice chimed in, this one far more deep and masculine. "Yeah, just tell us where Mother is and we can stop hurting you."

"It's really simple: All we want is Mother. You give us Mother and then everything will be fine," spoke a silky, obviously male voice that marked the presence of the third member.

Sprawled on the ground and tied up in chains were two injured people that were obviously captives. One was a dark-eyed man with shoulder length black hair that was currently messy from some sort of struggle. The only thing that stood out besides his bruised and bloodied handsome face was the tilak in the middle of the man's forehead.

The other captive was a cute brown-eyed girl with short blonde hair. Her face and attitude had a more youthful edge to it. She was young, but she was not harmless.

The dark-haired man said nothing. He merely glared at them as he attempted to ascertain the situation at hand.

The blonde girl angrily spat out, "We already told you that we don't know where you 'Mother' is. You _killed_ him! You…bastards. How could you do such a thing?" Hanging her head then, she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to ward away the tears that threatened to leak out. It was a moment of weakness that she would no doubt be kicking herself for later, _if_ there was a later for her.

The First who had spoken was shorter and slighter than the other two, but he was obviously the leader. In the way that he walked and talked, his other cohorts followed his lead without question or objection in spite of his unfathomable cruelty. There was something not quite right with him. He didn't seem to be all there in the head as he paced back and forth muttering loudly about Mother.

The Second speaker was the brawniest. There was great strength in his powerful build and with that being said, it was clear that he had the brute strength of the trio. He wasn't necessarily the brightest of the bunch, either.

The Third that had spoken was the tallest with a lean, taut build that seemed almost catlike. There was something alluring about him as he regarded the tormented captives with a cool, unforgiving gaze. Out of the three, he was easily the most attractive looking one.

The most unsettling thing about the trio was how much they resembled _Sephiroth_.

The First backhanded the blond girl so hard that her neck almost snapped from the sheer impact of the blow. "We tried to reason with you, but you just won't listen."

The brown-eyed girl cursed after she had spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground. She looked completely livid as she slowly turned her head to glare murderously at her assailant.

"You should have listened," laughed the Third while he stroked the gun blade that he held in his left hand. He touched it tenderly as if it were his favorite pet.

"Loz, I think the girl needs another _demonstration_," informed the First as he began pacing once more. There was a certain bounce to his step that gave away just how excited he was becoming by each passing second.

Cracking his knuckles, the Second known as Loz strode over to male captive and removed him from the chains. Forcibly shoving the dark-haired man onto his stomach, the Second clamped his boot down on the center of the man's back to keep him down. He then grabbed him roughly by one of the arms.

"No! What are you doing? Leave _him_ alone!" The blonde girl's eyes widened in horror and then she began struggling harder against the chains as she screamed for him to stop.

There was a sickening crunch as the man's arm was twisted quickly until the bone snapped like a branch. The other mostly uninjured arm was next grabbed and a similar action was repeated, but this time, Loz exerted more force into the move to make it twice as painful the second time around. The Second carelessly let both broken arms fall gracelessly to the ground in the way a child would to a broken toy he was done playing with.

The dark-eyed man hadn't made much noise except for a few sharp intakes of breath. Glancing at his new injuries, he was dismayed to find that the second arm that had been broken had bone protruding through his flesh.

Watching the blonde girl carefully, the First strode over to her and knelt down on one knee beside her. Grabbing her brutally by the chin, he forced her to look at him. "You love him, don't you? I can tell by the way you look at him. I know _that_ look. It's the same way we look at Mother. Don't you see…we just want our Mother back. If you tell us where Mother is then we can go to her and you can go to him."

The blonde-haired girl spat on his face before she hissed, "I don't know where your fucking Mother is, you psycho. And even if I did know, I would _never_ tell you."

"Elena, _no_," grunted the dark-haired man. He looked more concerned with what she had said and done than what had been done to him.

"Shut up," growled Loz as he forced more of his weight onto the captive's back. He knew that some of the man's ribs were broken from when they had taken turns beating him. There was no doubt in his mind that the pain was excruciating if his groans and hisses were anything to go by.

Without any hesitation at all, the Third had lunged forward and had maliciously struck the girl's face with his gun blade. The blow was so hard and vicious that it sent the blonde flying backwards until her back hit the ground with a heavy thud. Blood poured profusely from the gash across her pretty face. The wound was deep enough to require numerous stitches and would most likely leave a scar.

"Leave her alone," hissed the dark-eyed captive. Forgetting his own pain momentarily, the dark-haired man began to struggle again to break free in spite of his broken arms and ribs, fractured kneecaps, and internal bleeding. He was really in no condition to fight for freedom, let alone move.

"What a grand idea," said the First as a smirk slowly spread on his youthful face. His feline-like jade eyes widened with unrestrained glee as he strode over to the male captive.

The Third turned away from the female captive known as Elena and followed his companion. He moved much like a felid with graceful and swift liquid steps. "I agree, Kadaj. Let's _bother_ him."

"Yes, Yazoo, let's," agreed the First known as Kadaj.

Grabbing a fistful of the man's thick black hair, Loz yanked the man back until he was forced to kneel on his damaged knees. Fingers still tangled in his unruly dark hair, the Second held him up by the hair alone. "You should have listened to us, little man. My brothers are gonna make you pay now."

Standing beside Kadaj in front of the captive was the Third known as Yazoo. He reached over and with the tip of his gun blade, he scraped up some of the man's blood from his bruised, bloodied face. Bringing the blade to his mouth, Yazoo's long, sinful tongue swiped out to taste the red liquid. Slitted eyes closed momentarily in perverted pleasure as he moaned low in his throat at the taste of the man's essence.

Repulsed by the sordid display before him, the dark-haired man felt the distinct urge to vomit. Not that he had anything left in his stomach to throw up. He had already involuntarily emptied all of the contents of his stomach.

Recovered from her daze, Elena sat up just in time to witness as Kadaj used his _Souba_, which was a katana with two reinforced parallel blades, to cruelly gut the dark-haired man. Stabbing him through the abdomen, he jerked the double-bladed sword brutally upwards until a ribcage had stopped his assault. Ripping his sword out, he let his arm drop to the side as he watched in awe as blood gushed out of the man. He wasn't the least bit bothered by the entrails that spilled out of the dark-eyed captive's gutted body. The organs splattered to the ground in a gruesome and gory display of pink and red.

A scream ripped out of the blonde's throat as she watched her comrade's body get sliced open right before her very eyes. All she could think to do was scream out his name over and over again. "_TSENG!_"

Releasing the captive's hair, Loz stepped back a few steps and watched as the dying man fell gracelessly to the ground.

Turning his head to look at the blonde, Yazoo taunted, "Still don't know where Mother is, hm?"

Before he turned around to face the other captive, Kadaj wiped the blood off on the cleanest part of Tseng's filthy clothes. Deeming it clean enough for now, the shortest of the three slowly strode over to the blonde captive. There was a mad, demented gleam in his eyes now that hadn't been there earlier. Or at least, it hadn't been as apparent before.

"_Tseng…no, not Tseng_," Elena mumbled as she shook her head in denial. When she heard three pairs of booted footsteps approaching, she whipped her head up to glare spitefully at the three Sephiroth look-a-likes. "How could you? How could you kill him? You are nothing but **monsters**." 

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><p>Shooting up straight in bed, the sweat soaked ex-General quickly stumbled out of the bed and ran for the bathroom. Ripping open the door, he staggered towards the toilet in a mad rush. He barely had enough time to yank open the toilet lid before vomit spewed unceremoniously from his mouth. Sephiroth threw up again and again until he was heaving nothing but air.<p>

Gasping for oxygen, the silver-haired man panted in distress as his naked body rocked back and forth. He flinched when he had felt a cool, albeit a familiar hand lay on his shoulder blade. The hand stroked his back comfortingly as the other hand moved to tuck Sephiroth's lengthy silver hair behind both of his ears.

Slamming the toilet lid down, Sephiroth quickly flushed the toilet. His body didn't stop rocking until he felt two arms encircle and pull him close to a smaller, yet strong body. He sank gratefully into the welcome warmth of the blond's naked body. The jade-eyed man's body still shook with slight tremors as he was tightly held.

After several long minutes, the ex-General had calmed down significantly until he no longer shook. When he felt the arms start to loosen, he immediately protested, "Don't let go!"

"This will only take a second," quietly affirmed Cloud as he released Sephiroth to stand up and snatch a few large towels that were thankfully nearby. Laying both of the towels out on the bathroom floor, he pulled Sephiroth back in his embrace and then laid them both down on their sides on the towels. Normally, he would have taken the ex-General back to the bedroom, but something had told him to stay in the bathroom for the time being.

Instantly calming down once he felt Cloud holding him again, Sephiroth lay still as he slowly relaxed. His eyelids drooped some when he felt skilled fingers brushing through his hair. The tips of fingers dragged against his skull, effectively massaging his scalp in the pleasurable way that always made him feel quite tranquil.

Moving some of the man's long hair out of the way, Cloud kissed him softly on the neck a few times. "Seph, how do you feel now?"

"Better," croaked the ex-General. His mouth had the unpleasant taste of bile and his throat felt sore from purging his body.

"Good," said the blond man while he continued to play with Sephiroth's silky hair. In truth, he was dying to know what was wrong with his lover, but he knew better than to push. He was patient and would wait for the right time. He just hoped that whatever had caused Seph to be ill wasn't from what they had done several hours prior.

After what felt like hours, Sephiroth finally broke the silence. "Cloud."

"Yeah," said Cloud as he continued to stroke the man's beautiful hair. Quite a number of times he had nearly nodded off, yet somehow he had managed to remain awake. It was a good thing the bathroom floor wasn't comfortable to lay on; otherwise he may have fallen asleep.

"Thank you," sighed Sephiroth.

"For what?" Questioned the half-asleep blue-eyed man. He was beginning to get used to lying on the hard ground. In the past, he had slept in worse places. As long as he had Sephiroth near him, he could probably sleep anywhere.

"For being…" Trailed off Sephiroth as he tried to find the right words to explain it. Even though he had improved greatly, he still wasn't perfect at communicating what he wanted to say to people. Sometimes it proved difficult to say what was floating around in his head.

Knowing exactly what his lover was trying to express, Cloud kissed him on the shoulder. "You don't need to thank me for that, Seph. I do what I do for you because I love you. You being at my side is more than enough for me. You know that."

Feeling both humbled and overwhelmed by Cloud's words, Sephiroth didn't know what to say. It amazed him how Cloud always knew how to say the right thing. Especially since he wasn't so great at expressing himself. Sure, he could easily find the words to insult Valentine, but it proved far more difficult for him to delve into himself to find the right words to say to Cloud involving feelings, emotions, and all that jazz.

"Are you sure you're all right, Seph? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Asked the blond. He bit his lip in the way he sometimes did when anxiously awaiting someone's response.

Sephiroth immediately shook his head. "No, you were wonderful. You did not hurt me."

Relived to hear that, Cloud quietly sighed. His relief was short-lived when he realized that if it wasn't something he did, then it meant something else was bothering the ex-General. "Then what's wrong?"

"I…I had a bad dream, Cloud," admitted the silver-haired warrior. He wasn't so sure that he wanted to talk about it, though.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cloud asked hesitantly. He wasn't about to push his lover into reliving a nightmare. The blond knew by now how powerful and crippling bad dreams could be. After all, he had been crushed by nightmares for over a decade now.

Sephiroth didn't immediately answer. He did want to talk about it, but then he didn't. The silver-haired man felt immense guilt wash over him as he thought about his nightmare. It had seemed so real, had felt so real. It had felt as if he had been there as it happened. This nightmare was nothing compared to most of his other bad dreams.

Cloud decided to revise his previous question so that the other man felt no pressure from him. "It's OK if you don't want to talk about it. I won't press you about it and I don't expect you to tell me anything you don't want to tell me. I'm just offering to listen."

"It was about _Them_, Cloud. Those…those **clones** that your friend Reeve spoke of. I saw them in my dream. And…and they were doing _terrible_ things," revealed Sephiroth in a quiet, almost docile voice that was steeped full of guilt.

The blond was more disturbed by the fact that Sephiroth sounded _guilty_ than by the fact that he was having nightmares of his own clones. "What were they doing?"

"Torturing people; a man and a woman. I don't know if you know them or not, but I think their names were Tseng and Elena."

_Shit._ If Sephiroth's dream was really a vision, then that meant the Turks were no longer missing. "Yes, those are the names of two of Rufus Shinra's four Turks. There's Tseng, Elena, Rude, and Reno. Did you see the other two in the dream as well?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, just those two."

Cloud felt hesitant to ask, but did so anyway. "Did you see what happened to them?"

The ex-General's voice wavered as he answered, "The clones tortured them for information. They kept asking them where '_Mother'_ was. The Turks wouldn't answer their questions and that made them upset. The clones got bored and…killed Tseng. I don't know if they killed the girl, but it felt like they were going to. In the dream, Cloud…I could feel their intent. It was as if I were doing all those things, too. They looked…just like me. Maybe that means…"

The blond ex-Mercenary sat up and brought the other man up with him. He forced him to turn around so that he could look him in the face. Once his bright blue eyes had locked with Sephiroth's bright green eyes, he began to speak firmly. "Listen to me, Seph, and listen good. You are not them. You didn't hurt or kill anyone. You were with me the entire night. I don't know if this actually happened or not, yet, but I want you to know that this isn't your fault. Do not blame yourself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Cloud."

The spiky-haired man sighed. "Good. Let's get back to bed."

Nodding slowly, the silver-haired man reluctantly stood up to his full towering height. He let himself be led back into their bedroom.

Bright lights flooded the bedroom followed by the sound of an engine and tires grinding against rocks.

Cloud cursed under his breath and checked the window. He sighed in relief when he realized it was Vincent's vehicle. The blond then quickly threw on some clothes and waited for the ex-General to finish dressing, which thankfully wasn't long.

Once they were both outside in the dark, bathed by moonlight, the vehicle's headlights shut off and a familiar man dressed in red and black stepped out.

Cait Sith had been rudely woken up by their hurried footsteps and had followed them outside. The robotic cat had somehow sensed that something was wrong and chose to remain silent. He was still nervous that Sephiroth was going to kill him.

Striding over to the lovers, Vincent had a grim look set upon his pale face. Well, normally he always looked calm, sad, and monotonous, but now he looked as if he were slightly angry. Something had obviously set him off enough to have him display some of what he was actually feeling.

Normally, Sephiroth would have insulted the gunman by now, but he chose not to. There was a tense and angry feeling in the air that he was beginning to grow accustomed to. The ex-General knew better to mess with the man when he wasn't in the mood. So instead of greeting Valentine, he merely nodded his head and stood in awkward silence as he waited for the ex-Turk to speak.

"Vincent, what's going on?" Demanded the blond rather impatiently even though he suspected he already knew what it was.

Glancing at Sephiroth, Vincent turned his crimson gaze back to Cloud and quietly answered, "Cloud, I found Tseng and Elena…but you are not going to like what I have to tell you." 


	17. CH16: Repentance

Let Him In 

Chapter warning(s): Language, Dark themes, Angst, Slight M/M Yaoi 

**IMPORTANT A/N**: For those of you that are **THE GENERAL AND THE TURK** fans, this site has taken down the story due to its graphic sexual content. It seems is cracking down on Mature rated stories now, which is why a lot of users as of late have been joining **Adultfanfiction(dot)net aka AFF(dot)net**. I would highly suggest that you get an account with AFF(dot)net. You don't need an account to review, but it's still good to have one.

**The General and The Turk** (_along with my other FF7 stories_) are also available on AFF(dot)net if you wish to read it again or have yet to read it. Links to my account are provided on my _**Profile**_. My penname on AFF(dot)net is: GodOfInsanity

I will not be putting TGTT back up on FF(dot)net.

Also, Part III of TGTT is finished and has been submitted on AFF(dot)net AND my livejournal. Links are in my Profile, as I previously stated.

I am also eventually going to have TGTT available on other websites just in case you are not able to view.

On another note, as always, thanks for the feedback. It keeps me motivated, you know. My story being taken down has disheartened me some and I was tempted to stop writing for awhile, but some of you are really awesome (especially the ones who review all the time) so I didn't let it get me down for long. 

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><p>"<em>What is past is past, there is a future left to all men, who have the virtue to repent and the energy to atone<em>."-Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton 

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><p>CH16: Repentance <p>

"He is very lucky to be alive," commented Vincent as he led Cloud and Sephiroth into the intensive care medical ward. Pushing the door open with ease, he stepped in quietly and stood a safe distance away as he waited for the others to enter the room.

Cloud hesitantly walked into the small room and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the familiar man lying in the hospital bed. It was _Tseng_. So that meant…

Sephiroth almost didn't enter the room. He was so immersed by guilt and trepidation that he was afraid that when he walked into the room that he would see the man from his dream. It would confirm that what had happened in his dream had really happened. And no matter what Cloud said about it, he had had a hand in it whether he was directly or indirectly to blame for it.

Stopping just as abruptly as the blond had, the jade-eyed man gasped soundlessly at the sight of the dark-haired Turk. It was the man from his dream. His name was _Tseng_, if he recalled correctly.

"If I had not found him when I had and administered a Cure from the Restore Materia, he would have died. He was minutes away from imminent death," explained the ex-Turk as he glanced at the Turk lying in the bed. His ruby gaze flickered to Sephiroth as he gauged the ex-General's reaction to this. He found it curious that Sephiroth looked shocked _and_ guilty.

Frowning, the blond warrior stepped closer until he was standing beside the bed and staring down at the unconscious man. Without taking his eyes from Tseng's prone form, he slowly inquired, "Seph, is this the man you saw in your vision?"

Sephiroth nodded slowly as if he were in a trance.

Seeing the nod from his peripheral vision, Cloud sighed and then looked at the ex-Turk. "Seph said Elena was with Tseng. He didn't see what they did to her after they gutted Tseng, but it was clear they were about to do something bad to her. Did you find her, too?"

Vincent looked as grim as ever as he directed his gaze to the ex-Mercenary. He proffered a plastic bag from seemingly out of nowhere. It was clear and inside it was a torn navy blue Turk jacket and a dress shirt. Both articles of clothing had belonged to a woman due to the size and style. They were also splattered in blood and looked as if they had been forcibly removed from Elena's body. "All I found was Tseng. The girl was not at the scene when I arrived. I found evidence that she had been there: clumps of blond hair, and a torn and blooded dress jacket and shirt. Otherwise…I found nothing else to indicate that she had been there at all."

The blond man's eyes were narrowed dangerously and his lips were set in a thin line. In other words, the man was not happy. He looked as if he wanted to beat someone brutally to death. "She may still be alive, then."

"Perhaps," agreed Vincent with a look that held little hope for the blond Turk girl.

"Is Tseng going to pull through or…?" Asked Cloud in an effort to change the subject away from the thought of what had happened to Elena or what may _still_ be happening to her.

The ex-Turk took several long minutes to carefully mull over the question before he finally answered it. "I do not know. All I know is that although he is stable for the time being, he is in a _coma_."

"Coma…?" Repeated the silver-haired man in confusion. Coma was not a word he was familiar with, but whatever it was, it did not sound good.

As if by magic or perhaps by a sixth sense, Tseng's eyes flew open as soon as the ex-General had spoken. He winced at the pain as he hastily rose to an upright position. Ignoring Cloud and Tseng, his dark eyes settled on the tallest man in the room. Out of all the emotions swirling uncontrollably in his black eyes, the strongest thing present in his eyes was hatred. In a voice that rivaled the loathing stamped on his face, he hissed, "_You_…"

The ex-General took a step back as if Tseng had actually physically hit him. Even though he wasn't appalled by the way the man was glaring hatefully at him, he still didn't enjoy it. The burden of his guilt weighed more heavily to the point that he found it difficult to remain in the room. The silver-haired man knew he deserved this and worse. He had no right to be angry, hurt, or upset by Tseng's reaction to his presence.

Not particularly liking the way the Turk was reacting to his lover, Cloud moved quickly to stand protectively in front of Sephiroth. In an effort to shield Sephiroth from the Turk's brewing wrath, he stated, "Tseng. Tseng, what happened to you and Elena?"

Jerking his chin in Sephiroth's direction, Tseng answered darkly, "_He_ tortured me and Elena. Then _He_ tried to kill me. I don't know what that bastard did to Elena…"

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, Cloud was quick to disagree. "He was with me all day _and_ all night. There was no way that Seph hurt you and Elena. I am very sorry that this has happened to you and to your comrade, but know this; Sephiroth had _nothing_ to do with this, so back off."

Perplexed by Cloud's response, Tseng said nothing as he tried to analyze what Cloud had said. It made no sense to him. If _He_ wasn't to blame, then who was? And of all people, why was Cloud defending _him_?

In an effort to keep things from spiraling out of control, Vincent quickly stepped in. Knowing the blond's fierce temper and Tseng's nearly hysterical state, it was best he did damage control _now_. "Cloud speaks the truth, Tseng. This may be a lot for you to take in right now, but know this: Sephiroth is not the enemy. Not anymore."

Although Tseng was far from being calm, he was no longer hysterical. He was still indescribably upset and found it hard not to shake in anger. What had happened to him and his fellow Turk was still fresh in his system. "If what you say is true, then **what** were those monsters? They looked just like _Him_. They oozed of _His_ presence."

"We presume them to be Sephiroth's clones. His…_remnants_. We don't know where they came from, but we do know what they're after," clarified Vincent in his usual monotonous voice. He was doing his best to beat Cloud to the punch since the blond looked as if he were seething from rage.

"_Mother_," spat Tseng as he burned a hole in the ground with his glare. "They kept demanding to know where their Mother was. They killed Rufus Shinra before we could get to him." The Turk paused long enough to gaze despondently at nothing in particular. In a voice that mirrored his bitter expression, he muttered, "I suppose that was a blessing in itself. Rufus was dying of Geostigma. It was at such an advanced stage that he couldn't even walk, let alone move much at all."

"Do you know where Rude and Reno are? Are they even still alive? No one seems to know. Reeve and the WRO have been searching for you guys for awhile now," asked Cloud in a quiet sort of voice. His bright blue eyes still held a deadly edge to them as if he were daring Tseng to do something stupid.

Tseng sighed and leaned back on his elbows. Closing his eyes, he let his head fall back. His dark hair spilled out behind him at the change in position. "Unfortunately…I do not know. I hope that they are well, but I know better than to hope for miracles. For all I know, Reno and Rude are just as dead as Elena is."

"She could still be alive. Don't give up on her, yet," growled Cloud. The Turk was pissing him off and that surprised him because Tseng never really made him angry. He shouldn't be mad at the man, but something about his attitude was inciting his ire. The Turk had every right to hate Sephiroth and to act like all hope was lost, but something about that bothered Cloud to no bounds. He didn't want Tseng or anyone else to hate his lover and he didn't want any of his friends or comrades to give up.

Scrunching his eyes tightly closed, Tseng fought the sudden wave of emotion that wracked his frail, recuperating body. Seeing Sephiroth again had slashed open a bunch of old wounds. There was a particular pain inside of him that hadn't lessened at all after all these years. He had once lost someone that he had loved more than anyone and anything else. Time didn't heal shit and it didn't lessen the pain. All it did was gradually get you used to the notion that the woman you had loved was gone forever. No amount of crying and therapy would ever make it right again. Death always changed _everything_.

As if sensing his distress, Vincent quietly suggested, "We should let him rest now."

"I couldn't agree more," acquiesced Cloud as he nodded to Tseng before he started to exit the room.

Out of the three, Sephiroth was the only one who remained in the room with Tseng. He had started to walk out, but stopped suddenly as if something had occurred to him. Slowly looking over his shoulder at Tseng, he then softly spoke with the full weight of emotion nearly shaking in his voice.

"I am sorry." 

* * *

><p>Vincent glanced from Cloud to Sephiroth before he finally asked, "There's something you're both not telling me. You asked Sephiroth if he recognized Tseng. Why? And why does Sephiroth look so guilty?"<p>

Cloud looked at Sephiroth. "Do you want to tell him, Seph? I think it will help if he knows."

The ex-General slowly nodded.

"Take your time," said the blond with a comforting squeeze of Sephiroth's hand.

Sephiroth shook his head and muttered, "No, you tell him."

The ex-Mercenary sighed, but consented to it anyway. "As you wish, Seph."

The ex-General sat down in a chair of the waiting room. He leaned over and rested his face in his hands.

"Seph had a vision of what occurred between the Turks and the clones. He saw them torturing Tseng and Elena. He said there's three of them…and that they look just like him. Their names are Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. Seph saw them eviscerate Tseng, but he didn't see what they did to Elena. So far all we know is that these clones are looking for Jenova," patiently explained Cloud as he kept his gaze locked on his lover.

Vincent listened without interrupting. He didn't fail to notice that the blond hadn't answered all of his questions. "Why does Sephiroth feel guilty about it?"

Cloud sighed. "He blames himself for it. I guess it's because since he witnessed it, he was a part of it and also because they resemble his old self. They're his…remnants. They've probably been skulking around plotting way before I resurrected him."

The ex-Turk nodded and glanced at the ex-General. "If you are to blame for what happened, Sephiroth, then I am to blame, as well."

Sephiroth sat up straight as his hands dropped away from his face. He stared up at the ex-Turk in surprise. "Don't be stupid. You didn't do anything except rescue Tseng, Valentine."

"I'm not being stupid. You are," stated Vincent as he strode over to the seated ex-General. He rested a hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder. "The fact that you even feel remorse is proof that you aren't a monster like your clones. If you wish to redeem yourself, Sephiroth, then help us fight _them_. Help us fight _her_."

The jade-eyed man nodded slowly. "I will do what I can."

"Good," said the ex-Turk as he began to turn and walk away.

"_Where_ are you going?" Questioned a very exhausted looking Cloud.

Vincent halted in his steps just long enough to answer, "To find Elena."

Sephiroth immediately sprang up onto his feet. "Whatever you do, do not engage them, Valentine. They are…_powerful_. Three against one are not good odds. You saw what they did to Tseng and who knows what they've done to the other Turks."

The ex-Turk's back was facing Cloud and Sephiroth, which meant his face wasn't visible to them. A small smile graced his pale, youthful face. "Do not worry, Sephiroth, I will be just fine. I was once a Turk, you know. And I would never dream of dying and leaving you alone without anyone to harass you on a daily basis."

"I'll go with you, Valentine," volunteered the ex-General. He would never admit it, but he had a soft spot for the ex-Turk. The thought of Vincent running off alone and possibly getting killed by his remnants bothered him greatly.

"No, you stay with Cloud. You both look like you need some rest," stated Vincent in a voice that left little room for argument. "I will be back before you know it."

"Be careful, Vincent," bade Cloud as he solemnly watched his friend depart from the hospital. As much as he wanted to drive out and find the clone bastards, he knew Vincent was right. They both needed rest and as soon as they were rested, Cloud knew that he had to resume Sephiroth's training as soon as possible. There wasn't much time, which meant that the ex-General had to learn as much as he could before he had to join in the brewing conflict.

Cloud also knew that it wouldn't be long until Sephiroth was faced with his remnants. He didn't know what was going to happen or how Sephiroth would react to them, but he knew he couldn't hide the ex-General forever. In the back of his mind, he actually feared that Sephiroth would leave him to join his clones. But what he feared more than betrayal was what the clones might do to _his_ Sephiroth.

The blond fighter walked over and clasped Sephiroth's hand in his. Looking up at the ex-General, he smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Vincent will be fine. He knows what he's doing."

"I'm not worried," denied Sephiroth as he shook his head.

"If you say so," snickered Cloud as he led the ex-General outside. He knew his silver-haired lover was full of shit. "Since we're already in Midgar, I was thinking we could rent a hotel, sleep for a few hours, and then get you back to the training facility. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Sephiroth with a curt nod. He cursed when a grey cat ran out from under a car. It hissed at them and scampered away. The ex-General was suddenly reminded of something. "Where is that robot cat thing? I haven't seen or heard the annoying thing since…"

Cloud looked sheepish. "I think…I think we left him at the house."

Sephiroth smirked. "Good. And that's where he's staying."

As if on cue, a very annoying southern sounding voice piped up. "Hey guys! Where have you been? You left me behind! How could you? That's so MEAN!"

Cloud and Sephiroth simultaneously groaned.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry it's so short, but I ran out of time…and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for another week. I managed to update TGTT _and_ Let Him In. I feel accomplished.


	18. CH17: Atrocity

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Offensive/Bad Language, Mentions of Bullying, Humor, Dark themes, Implications/references to Rape, Blood, Character Death(s), Angst, M/M Yaoi

* * *

><p>"Don't cry, my love, don't cry no more<p>

A crashing sky, a rolling screen

A city drowning God's black tears

I cannot bear to see 

She lay under the midnight moon

Her restless body stirring

Until the magic morning hour

Like poison, it succumbs her." 

-"Heron Blue" By: Sun Kil Moon 

* * *

><p>CH17: Atrocity <p>

"Does that _thing_ have to come with us?" Asked Sephiroth as he fixed Cait Sith with a level glare of his own.

Cloud wanted to laugh, but wisely chose not to. "I'm afraid so."

The robot cat stuck his tongue out at Sephiroth in a rude gesture as he exclaimed excitedly, "Yeah! You're stuck with me, pal! So deal with it!"

Eyebrow twitching, the ex-General opted to ignore the cat thing as he watched Cloud mount Fenrir. He then climbed onto the bike behind Cloud and wrapped his arms securely around the blond's mid section. He knew from past experience that his lover liked to drive really _fast_. Sometimes it had him thinking that Cloud drove crazy fast just to have an excuse to have the ex-General cling to him as if he were his life support.

Sephiroth started when he felt something land on his shoulder. Quickly turning his gaze to his shoulder, he saw Cait Sith perched rather comfortably on his shoulder. Narrowing his Mako eyes, he growled, "_Get off_."

"Oh, not with Cloud around, pretty boy," cheekily replied the cat with a salacious wink of his own. He swiftly flipped in the air before a glove-clad hand could swat him off. Landing nimbly on Sephiroth's other shoulder; he tugged gently on the man's silver locks. "Ha ha, you missed me!"

The ex-General didn't quite grasp the concept of the sexual innuendo that the cat had used. In fact, he didn't understand what Cloud had to do with Cat Sith removing himself from Sephiroth's person. It made no sense to him, really. "Come again?"

"Whoa, you're a _demanding_ fella, aren't ya?" Said the robot cat in mock awe as he grinned rather mischievously. He obviously was trying to see exactly how much he could get away with the ex-madman.

"The only thing I demand from you is that you _get off_," reiterated the clueless ex-General.

"You want me to do _what_ to you?" Skeptically inquired the cat with an innocent look plastered on his face.

Sephiroth shot the tiresome cat a fierce, threatening glare. "Cloud, your little annoying friend is about to _die_…"

The blond ex-Mercenary could barely contain his suppressed laughter. Shaking his head, he looked over his shoulder at the odd couple. "He's just testing you, Seph. I know he's a little overbearing, but he means well."

Both of Sephiroth's fine eyebrows rose up high at that. "A _little_? Surely, you jest…"

Cloud finally let loose a laugh. "Okay, Cait Sith is really, really irritating and sometimes you just want to grab him and strangle him. Even I couldn't stand him at first. Just think of him as mold…he grows on you after awhile."

Cait Sith huffed indignantly. "HEY! I'm not irritating! I'm—"

_WHACK!_

The robotic cat didn't feel the full impact of the blow until he had flown off of the ex-General and had fallen on his head.

Biting back his laughter, the blond warrior dismounted from the bike to scoop up the robotic cat. He placed him on his shoulder and then climbed back on Fenrir. "I think that'll teach you-_don't mess with Sephiroth_."

* * *

><p>Cloud waited for the silver-haired man to dismount Fenrir before he hopped off. Glancing at the ex-General, he drank in his image greedily. It always amazed him that no matter how fast they went, Sephiroth's nearly flawless hair never had more than a few tangles here and there. His long hair should be an unrecognizable mess because of the wind, yet it somehow maintained its nearly perfect appearance.<p>

The ex-General caught him staring, but said nothing. It wasn't a rare occurrence to catch the slighter man gawking at him. In truth, he couldn't exactly say anything about it since he was prone to staring at the stunning blond.

"Are we gonna get a move on it today or are you pretty boys going to stand here all day batting eyelashes at each other?" Piped Cait Sith in slight irritation. He had only spent about a day or so with these two grown men and already he could tell that they were _worse_ than lovesick teenagers.

Cloud blinked and glanced over to his shoulder where the impatient cat was perched. Raising a blond eyebrow, he drawled, "You don't have to stay with us. You can go wherever you like, you know."

"You could go away forever, cat," suggested Sephiroth without a hint of humor.

"It's Cait Sith, not 'cat'," snorted the robot as he poked his tongue out at the presumably ex-madman.

"All right, all right, let's go, _ladies_," sighed Cloud as he started striding off in a specific direction.

As if suddenly realizing something, Sephiroth scanned the area for anything abnormal. All he saw were people walking around, working, and partaking in their daily lives. There was no fire, no monsters, and no death in Schönnbach.

"Are you coming, Seph?" Called the blond man.

Brought out of his daze by his lover's voice, he glanced over at Cloud and shook his head. "You go attend to your business. I think I will go find Hana."

"All right, I won't be long. I'll meet you in the park when I'm done," consented Cloud with a slight smile as he began to walk once more.

The ex-General sighed in relief. As much as he loved Cloud, he needed some time apart from that wonderful man. He also knew Cloud needed the same since being together 24/7 could drive anyone insane. That and there was also Hana. Sephiroth was concerned about the girl and wanted to check up on her since he hadn't seen her in awhile. So far he only cared for a few people and out of those people, Hana was one of them. The girl was pretty much one of his only friends.

* * *

><p>Walking with long, purposeful strides, Sephiroth was alert as he searched for the familiar form of the red-haired girl. Normally, Hana was the first one to meet them because she tended to hear the loud roar of Fenrir. It was a distinct sound and it always told her Cloud and Sephiroth were coming.<p>

But no Hana now. Where could she be?

Concern etching itself more deeply into his being, the ex-General walked faster as he searched all the usual Hana hang out spots. Not finding her in any of the usual places, he began his search in areas she didn't frequent. If he had to break down every single door to find her, he would.

Twenty minutes later, he had wandered into the poverty stricken side of town. Most people were either inside their rundown shack houses or elsewhere. No one was outside for some reason.

As Sephiroth neared a particular alleyway, he heard the distinctive sound of children shouting and cheering. Curious as to what was occurring in this eerily quiet side of town, he stopped near the corner and peered around to sneak a peek in the alley.

There was a group of kids, mostly boys and a few girls. Most of them appeared to be older kids in their teens and preteens. They were huddled around something in a circle as they cheered something on. The repeated heated choir of "_Get her, get her, get her_!" reached the ex-General's ears.

Entering the alley, Sephiroth quietly approached until he could see what they were going on about. In the center of the circle was a familiar looking red-haired girl and three teenage boys. _Hana._

The boys were hitting and shoving her around in spite of her verbal protests for them to stop. She was much smaller and weaker than them and in spite of her size, Hana did attempt to put up a good fight. Instead of crying or dropping into a little ball on the ground, the red-haired tomboy did her best to fend off her attackers. But those relentless boys were too strong for her and since she didn't know how to properly defend herself, she was in trouble.

The cold dread Sephiroth felt quickly accelerated into red hot anger. Wordlessly, he strode forward and flung the jeering children out of his way as if they were nothing but trash. Alerted to the presence of such an intimidating adult, most of the kids cried out and scampered away.

Once inside the now broken circle, Sephiroth grabbed the closest teenage boy by the collar of his shirt. With his left hand, he then effortlessly picked the boy up until the kid's face was level with his. Jade eyes dangerously narrowed, the ex-General glared at the kid in what he imagined was his most daunting glare. In a low, ominous voice that mirrored his face, he growled, "How dare you. Stupid little boys shouldn't pick on girls. How about you pick on someone closer to your size…like _me._"

The other two boys stopped hitting Hana, but otherwise did not run away like the other kids. They stood their ground with balled fists as they flared hatefully at the intruder. One of them even had the nerve to shout, "Hey, _fag_, why don't ya back off! This has nothing to do with you!"

"Yeah, this is between us and the little orphan slut. She wouldn't suck our dicks so naturally we had to show the ungrateful bitch her rightful place. Maybe that'll teach her to open her mouth for _something_ other than talking," sneered the other boy.

Hana looked horrified and humiliated on the spot as blood dribbled down from her nose.

The ex-General continued to glower at the depraved, twisted little children. He knew that he painted a very frightening picture for them and that they were caking on the bravado in an effort to make him back off. "Speaking of places…I think it's time I put each one of you in your places."

One of the delinquents pointed a shaky finger and said, "Oh yeah? Go ahead and try! We're not scared of you, mister!"

"I suppose that's why you all have _wetted_ yourselves. I was under the impression that only scared little cowards urinated in their own pants. My mistake," mocked Sephiroth as he tossed the boy at the other two adolescents. He nearly snickered when he saw the lousy boy collide with the other two crooked boys.

"Seph!" As if slapped out of a trance, the red-haired girl ran over to the ex-General and stood straight beside him even though she was hurting. She wasn't hurt seriously, but it was obvious that she had a sprained ankle, several bruises, and a broken nose. Hana would probably require stitches in some places.

"Oh, look, the little tramp knows _him_. How much ya wanna bet he's fuckin' her, too," commented one of the teenagers.

"That's probably true. Whore gives it up for anyone who shows her attention. Just like her mother," laughed another boy.

"SHUT UP ABOUT MY MOTHER!" Bellowed Hana as she clenched her hands into tight fists. In spite of the pain of her injuries, she was ready to take them all on again.

The third boy, the one who had been formally suspended in the air by Sephiroth, finally spoke up. "I say we teach them both a lesson. There's three of us and two of them. We should be able to beat both of those faggots."

"How about three against three? That sounds fairer," announced Cloud as he strode over to stand beside his lover. Narrowing his bright blue eyes, he smiled and there was nothing friendly about it.

"Oh, fuck this!" Cried one of the boys right before he scurried off like a frightened little rabbit. His other two cohorts were close on his heels as their fear made them flee like cowards.

"Gaia, Hana, you're all beat up," said Cloud as he walked over to get a closer look at her. Taking a napkin from his pocket, he leant down on one knee to dab at the blood on her face. "What happened?"

Sephiroth said nothing as he watched Cloud check the girl's injuries. It all suddenly made sense to him now. Every time he had seen Hana, she had always been covered head to toe in band aids and sometimes bruises. The girl had been a victim of bullying and it was also clear that this had not been a onetime thing. For whatever reason, the girl was always ruthlessly picked on by the older kids. As much sense as it made to him, there was still something that stumped Sephiroth about it all. Something the boys had kept repeating…

"They wanted me to do something I didn't want to do. I refused, so they started shoving me around and hitting me," answered Hana as if this were something perfectly normal.

"I see." The blond rubbed a healing salve on most of the cuts and scrapes and then eventually on the girl's injured ankle and asked, "How does that feel? Does it feel better?"

Hana nodded. "Much better. Thanks, Cloud."

"I'm going to have to set your nose. It will hurt," warned the blond as he carefully wiped blood away from the area surrounding her nose.

"I know. My nose has been broken many times already," admitted the redhead. Most kids would have been whining and crying by now, yet the tomboy was not most kids.

There was the sickening sound of cartilage as Cloud set Hana's nose back in place. Although the motion had been quick, it had been very painful. Still, the girl only winced and waited patiently as the blond applied a bandage to her nose so that it would heal properly. "There, all better. You're such a trooper, Hana. Walk a little bit so I can see if your ankle is better."

The redhead nodded and gingerly walked to test out her sprained ankle. Whatever that salve was, it had done wonders for her. She barely felt any pain or discomfort at all. The swelling of her ankle had already drastically gone down enough that walking was now an option. "Wow, that stuff is amazing, Cloud!"

Cloud nodded and instructed, "I'm glad it's helped you, but I think you should go home and rest now. Try to stay off your feet, okay?"

Before Hana could object, Sephiroth had scooped her up into his arms. "Where do you live? We'll take you home."

"I can walk, you know," grumbled Hana as she crossed her arms. Her face flushed crimson as she was clearly embarrassed to be fussed over by two beautiful men. It wasn't something she was used to.

"I know," said Sephiroth as he strode out of the alleyway with Cloud following beside him. There were several questions burning in his mind, but he felt that he should not voice them just yet. The silver-haired man would wait until _after_ the poor girl had recuperated from her ordeal. Just because she put up a tough façade didn't mean she was ready to talk about all the abuse she had to suffer through.

Laying part of her face against the ex-General's face, she sighed, "I missed you guys."

Watching the two men and the girl depart, a familiar robotic cat sat perched on a lamppost. He had been following Sephiroth the entire time and had witnessed everything. Cait Sith cocked his head to the side and murmured, "How curious…"

* * *

><p>Sephiroth blinked open his eyes as his blurred vision eventually came into focus. He saw a dark sky littered with myriads of tiny, twinkling lights. He could also see dark smoke billowing ominously up into the sky. There was also the strong odor of smoke and…something else burning. Whatever it was, it suspiciously smelled like charred <em>meat<em>.

Using his arms to push himself up into an upright position, the ex-General suddenly realized that he was sitting alone in some kind of grassy plain. It didn't look familiar to him at all as he glanced around in confusion. Where in Gaia was he? But more importantly, where was Cloud?

Something bright and intense caught his attention. Something burning that looked like a town loomed off in the distance.

Feeling sudden alarm, he jumped up to his feet and sprinted in the direction of the town. It looked suspiciously like _Schönnbach_. That thought alone made something unpleasant clench in his chest. As bad as it sounded, in his mind, he prayed that this was a different town.

The distressed ex-General didn't stop running until he had finally reached the burning town. Every single building and structure was alight with tall, furious flames that indiscriminately consumed everything in its path.

Sephiroth began to walk around slowly, wary of the fire that heated his body and the smoke that threatened to choke him.

The silver-haired man stepped on something solid that made a sickening sound. He abruptly stopped and slowly looked down at what his boot had nearly crushed. Stepping back quickly in alarm, he felt bile rise in his throat at the sight of the slightly burnt corpse of a man.

"What's the matter, _Big Brother?_ Don't like what you see?" Purred a slightly familiar voice that seeped with dark seduction.

Another familiar voice chimed in. "Aw, I don't think he likes our handiwork."

Sephiroth swiftly turned around and spotted three disturbingly familiar figures clad in aberrant black leather. It was his…_clones._ Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo. They were all smirking deviously at him as if they were all in on some cruel, private joke.

"**What** did you _do_?" Accused Sephiroth even though he already suspected what they had done here. He wasn't exactly pleased to see them at all. The ex-General would have instantly preferred to be locked in a tiny room with Cait Sith _and_ Yuffie over these sadistic clones.

"We only did what Mother wanted," began Kadaj as he slowly slinked towards Sephiroth, his gait that of a stalking predator advancing on his prey. With a flourish of his hand, he added, "And right now, Mother wants _you_. It's time to come home, Big Brother..."

The ex-General narrowed his eyes dangerously and even though he felt the urge to back away, he stood his ground instead. The closer his clone got, the stronger the distinct smell of blood became. He almost didn't smell the metallic scent due to the thick smoke and stench of burning flesh. Upon closer inspection, all three of the clones' leathers glistened with something…_shiny_. The bloody splatters on their faces indicated that they were covered with blood.

Kadaj eagerly gestured with both hands for his brothers to join him.

Yazoo and Loz instantly sprung into action by circling around Sephiroth like hungry vultures hungry for flesh.

"Where is the blond Turk girl," demanded Sephiroth in spite of the sinking feeling that he felt in the pit of his stomach. He has a rising suspicion that he already knew of her fate.

A lewd smirk twisted on Loz's satisfied, yet excited face. He gestured around him as he answered, "In pieces…_somewhere_. You are welcome to look, Brother."

A callous expression deepened on Kadaj's smirking face. He laughed crudely, "You should have seen **what** Lox did to that little bitch. She _deserved_ it for keeping Mother away from us."

"What…what did he do," Sephiroth found himself asking even though he truly didn't want to the know the answer.

"I made her a _real_ woman, you know. Do you believe that she was a virgin?" Answered Loz as if they were speaking about something normal. He tapped his chin as he reminisced about what he had done to that Turk girl. As if suddenly remembering something, he then exclaimed, "She kept screaming for _Tseng_. I guess that was the man she was saving herself for. I bet she _loved_ him. Aw…"

The ex-General felt like immediately retching on the spot. He may not remember everything yet, but he still knew what rape was. Too numb to move, Sephiroth felt frozen on the spot. _Why couldn't he move?  
><em>

The tallest of the clones, the one that reached Sephiroth's height of 6'1", reached out to touch the ex-General's lengthy silver hair. "Our Big Brother is beautiful…don't you think, Brothers?"

"Don't touch me," spat Sephiroth with as much venom as he could possibly muster.

Loz nodded with a grin that seemed to mirror the ill intentions of the three. He seemed resolute to stand back and watch.

"Yes…." Agreed Kadaj in what sounded like a hiss. He neared close enough to reach up and trail his blood-stained gloved fingers across Sephiroth's pale, stricken face. Even he felt an intense attraction to this gorgeous man in spite of his simmering jealousy. "I can see why Mother loves him so."

Without warning, Yazoo grabbed a fistful of Sephiroth's hair with enough force that yanked his head back and exposed his creamy throat. "We should welcome him, Kadaj. Do not be jealous, for Mother loves all of her children. We are all in her image, Brother."

Kadaj said nothing as he leaned up, his body taut and nearly shaking with palpable anticipation. His tongue poked out to dance almost sensually against the skin of Sephiroth's long, strong neck. His eyes rolled at the pleasure of tasting Sephiroth. Sighing, he wove his fingers into the taller man's hair and harshly jerked his head down so that their faces were mere inches apart. "Yes…let's welcome him. He tastes _good_."

Sephiroth felt utterly repulsed by the feeling of his clone's tongue violating his face. A shudder from sheer disgust rippled through his body at the feel of that tongue and those explorative, vile hands. Those hands had a mind of their own as they seemed to claw and grope _through_ his clothes. The ex-General desperately wanted to move, to speak, yet he could do nothing as he felt rough hands grope him unkindly.

"I think he's _scared_, Kadaj," laughed Yazoo as he pressed his body up against Sephiroth from behind. One of his hands anchored itself to the ex-General's hip as he slowly ground his hips against Sephiroth's backside.

Another pair of hands joined the mix, less for pleasure and more for a specific purpose. Callous hands ripped and tore away at Sephiroth's shirt causing buttons to pop off in random directions. As soon as bare flesh was exposed, Kadaj eagerly dragged his nails against Sephiroth's chest. He admired the trail of red welts that followed after his hands. The slighter clone then sickeningly crooned, "Don't be afraid, Big Brother. We just need to be _one_ with you."

"We will not hurt you, Big Brother. You belong with us, to us. This is our _Reunion_ and we will all be together," purred Yazoo as both of his hands navigated around Sephiroth's body to grab at the front of his pants. He unceremoniously tore the front of Sephiroth's pants open and then proceeded to impatiently yank them down.

Kadaj lowered himself to his knees in front of the ex-General. Sliding his hands up Sephiroth's bare thighs, he then smiled up at the older man in such a way that made Sephiroth's blood freeze in his veins. "Come to us, Sephiroth. We're _waiting_for you."

* * *

><p>Sephiroth's eyes sprang open and he jerked upwards from where he had been lying. Glancing frantically around, the ex-General recognized the familiar room which led him to realize that he was in his lover's room and bed. Sephiroth nearly panicked when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he actually sighed in relief when he saw a half-asleep Cloud rising up into an upright position. Even still, he couldn't stop his body from trembling from the fresh memory of the nightmare. It had been <em>real<em>; it had seemed so distinctly real. It had not felt like a dream at all. Sephiroth had been there.

"What's wrong, Seph? Did you have another nightmare?" Asked a suddenly wide awake and very concerned Cloud as he tentatively touched his lover's face. "You're hot…and _shaking_. Do you feel sick?"

The ex-General blinked and said nothing. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Sick was not something he had ever known and even if he was sick now, he wouldn't know it.

"Stay here, I'll be back," murmured Cloud as he rose from the bed and left the bedroom. Within a few minutes, he was back with a small bottle that was smaller than his hand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he unscrewed the cap and handed the bottle to the other man. "Here, drink this."

"What is it?" Questioned Sephiroth as he held it gingerly in his hand as if he might accidentally break the fragile looking thing. Whatever it was, it was filled with something light blue and luminescent.

"It's a potion I used to take when my nightmares were really bad. It should help bring down your fever and relieve you of the other symptoms somewhat, I think," explained the ever so patient spiky-haired man.

Trusting Cloud, he drank the couple of mouthfuls that it contained. Although there wasn't much of it to drink, the effect it had on him was instantaneous. A rather intense and cool sensation swept through his body almost like a cool breeze caressing against overheated skin. All the pains seemed to melt away into nothingness until the dull ache transformed into tranquil relief.

Sephiroth wasn't even aware that he had lain down again until he felt a kiss on his forehead. Looking up, he realized that Cloud was sitting up against the headboard of the bed with him lying in his arms. Even though the blond had a hard body, it still felt comfortable to lay against for the ex-General.

"I'm proud of you, Seph. You've come a long way in such a short time," murmured Cloud as he swept his fingers through the larger man's long silky hair.

The ex-General scoffed, "I haven't done anything."

"I disagree. You haven't saved the world, yet, but you've changed the world for a few of us already."

"I did a few nice things…so what. I know I have done _horrid_ things in the past," rebutted Sephiroth while he screwed his eyes shut. In the darkness of his mind, he could see several images of atrocities he could barely make out at all. He didn't remember them, but he still felt that they were there.

Sighing, Cloud pulled him tighter against him as if he might be ripped away from him. He rested his chin on top of the ex-General's head as he affirmed, "You are a good man, Seph. You were a good man in your past life and you are a good man now. What happened in the past was tragic, but it was out of your hands. We can't change that now because it is the past and always will be. All that we can do now is live in the present and fight for the future."

_We._ Sephiroth liked the sound of that. Somehow knowing that Cloud was with him, and would be with him until the very end, filled him with a sort of resolute peace that even the worst of his nightmares couldn't shatter.

"Do you want me to tell you about it?" Slowly asked Sephiroth even though he really didn't want to talk about it, let alone think on it.

"Not right now. I want you to rest, Seph."

"I don't want to go back to sleep, Cloud," sighed Sephiroth as he continued to enjoy the warm embrace of his lover. In his private thoughts, he left the thought unvoiced: '_I don't want to see __**them**__ again_.'

"Then don't. Just lay here with me."

"_Cloud_…"

"I'm sure he's fine, Seph."

As if on cue, the sound of a very creepy ringtone interrupted the silence of the room. It was Cloud's phone which had been left on his bedside table. The ringtone sounded like spooky music that belonged in a movie about vampires or ghouls. It was the ringtone the blond had chosen especially for the ex-Turk. Every time he heard it, he knew straight away that it was the gunman calling him.

Snatching the phone, Cloud flipped it open and answered it. "Hello?"

The ex-Turk's monotonous, yet deep voice intoned, "Cloud, it's Vincent. I have some very bad news."

* * *

><p>AN: Action to come in the next chapter and possibly some Lemony goodness. Feedback is always greatly appreciated and motivates me. ;)


	19. CH18: Believe

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Offensive/Bad Language, Insane/Psychotic Sephiroth, Humor, Dark themes, Anal, Rough sex, Angst, M/M Yaoi, SephUKE

* * *

><p>"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act."-Buddha<p>

* * *

><p>CH18: Believe<p>

Hands braced themselves flat on the surface of the bathroom counter as the ex-General hunched over, his curtain of metallic hair shielding his pale face. He made it a point not to look at the mirror as his body silently quaked with an overload of pure emotion. Rage was predominant over the seething slew of negative emotions. Despair, self-hatred, and repulsion were the other feelings that writhed uncontrollably with the pulsating anger. There was so much feeling whirling around like a storm inside of him that he could barely fathom **what** he was feeling.

Gritting his teeth against the desperate, harrowing urge to scream, Sephiroth continued to shake from the sheer intensity of his rampant emotions.

As if suddenly realizing that he was there in the bathroom and in front of the mirror, he jerked his head up to glare hatefully into the mirror. The ex-General saw a face he loathed utterly and a face that he branded as ugly and despicable.

Sephiroth narrowed his darkened eyes as he sneered at the image of himself. "You are _wretched_. You don't deserve to live, yet here you are…_living_. Living while others die in your place…because of you. You should be ashamed, no, you are ashamed. This is all your fault. They all suffer and die because you are nothing but a weak, pitiable fool. You barely have a backbone…hah, you are not even _human_!" He then paused to chortle, his laughter high, sinister, and lacking mirth.

Slamming his hands against the bathroom counter, the laughter died abruptly on his lips as he shot his image a foul look."You do not deserve him, you know. Yet here you are…feeding from him like a greedy little whore. You cannot even stand on your own two feet like a man. You use him as a crutch. Useless. He always has to be strong for you and he always has to put up with your pathetic shit. He deserves someone much better than you. You know it, too, do you not? Do not even deny it. You know it to be true."

Sephiroth was breathing rapidly now as his cat-like pupils fully dilated. The look on his face was demented. Something about the manner in which he spoke and the way he looked nearly resembled his previous Jenova-influenced insane self. "You—are—weak. You are not even a man, for Gaia's sake. How are you supposed to protect him when you cannot even protect yourself? They claim that you are so strong and _good_…but they are very wrong. We both know you are frail and wicked. You are nothing but a deluded fool that is only capable of destruction. You have seen it, yes? They all do not trust you. Do you not feel it? Do you not feel the hate coursing through your veins like venom? No? Well, you should. They all despise you…yes, even _him_. You deserve to be hated and scorned for you are a freak, an abomination, and a hell bringer. You—are—a—monster."

In the darkness of the void that the ex-General seemed to be spiraling into, he saw flickers of something. Of what, he did not know. There were the sounds of several familiar voices that increased in pitch as he neared. Walking faster now, he started to jog and then broke out in a run in an effort to find the owners of all the voices.

Stopping abruptly, Sephiroth realized that the voices weren't just anywhere—they were _everywhere_. They were all around him so that made it impossible to pinpoint exactly where they came from. Every voice felt like a caress against his skin or a slap against his face. He didn't know what they were saying or even why, but he felt that it was important somehow. The fact that they were here with him was significant and it brought him a little bit of comfort in this consuming darkness.

"Who…who are you?" Sephiroth finally asked and then suddenly all the voices stopped.

A handsome red-haired man with pale blue eyes emerged from the darkness. He was clothed in remorse as he confessed, "I always wanted to be better than you, Seph. I wanted to be the hero you always were, but I could never be you. I destroyed what we had and for that, I am sorry. You were my best friend, my _brother_, and I should have been there for you."

"_Genesis_," croaked the ex-General as he felt raw emotion choke him. He reached out to the crimson-haired man, but he disappeared in a flicker of a moment.

A tall man with black hair and blue eyes strode out of the darkness next. A similar sort of remorse covered him as he spoke, "Hey, Seph. I wish things had been different. I really do. I tried to help you, to help Gen, but it was all in vain. I tried to tell you that you weren't a monster, but you wouldn't listen. You are not a monster, Seph, and neither is Genesis or me. It took me awhile to figure it out, but we are not monsters; we were created _by_ monsters. It's not what we are, Seph, it's what we do that makes us a man or a monster."

The ex-General felt more grief rip through him as he whispered, "_Angeal_…"

Once Angeal had disappeared, another man appeared. A man with spiky black hair and vivid blue eyes smiled with fondness at Sephiroth. "Hi, Seph! It's been a long time, buddy. I don't have much time, and I wish I did, so I could bore you to death! Haha, just kidding! Well, not about the not having much time part. I was joking about the boring you to death part. Anyway, all I really need to tell you is that I believe in you. I know that you're gonna kick ass and save the planet. How do I know? Well, I just do, okay? And stop being so hard on yourself! Oh, and one more thing…look after my Spiky, all right?

"_Zack_…" Breathed Sephiroth as he slowly nodded while he gazed at the other man. What was this feeling in his chest? It didn't feel bad. It felt like…like hope.

"Remember me, Sephiroth?" Asked a feminine voice from behind the ex-General.

Turning around to face the speaker, Sephiroth was graced with the same pretty brown-haired and green-eyed woman he had met back in Yasu's shop. "Yes…I remember you."

"I meant everything I told you. You may not understand any of it now, but in time, you will know what you are to me, to Cloud, and to the entire world. I know you will do the right thing because I believe in you, Sephiroth," serenely said the braided-haired girl as she smiled at him. After she had spoken his name, her form dissolved before his very eyes until she was no longer present.

"_Aerith_," whispered the ex-General with a sadness he simply could not fathom.

A different woman emerged from the darkness; a woman with long brown hair and warm brown eyes. She was beautiful. In a voice clouded with guilt and sorrow, she confessed, "I am your mother, Sephiroth. Your real mother. I regret…I regret what I did to you, what I let be done to you and myself. But most of all, I regret not being able to hold you. I wish…I had been a stronger woman for not only myself, but for you, and for Vincent. I am so sorry, my son, and even if you can never find it in yourself to forgive me, I just want you to know that I love you."

"_Mother_…" All resolve crumbled, Sephiroth felt as if his knees would give out at any moment. Crumpling to the ground, he knelt on one knee as he clutched his head in his hands.

Suddenly, Sephiroth was out of the darkness and back in front of the mirror staring at himself. As if controlled by someone else, his mouth once more opened and he hissed, "She is not your mother, stupid, insolent child! I am your Mother! You are mine, _mine_! You are calamity's child, a god of _my_ making! Forget them all and learn your place at my feet, serving only me. You do not need any of them. All you need is me, _me_, your mother…you little _monster_…"

Staring in horror and revulsion at his own reflection, Sephiroth then slowly shook his head in denial. It was as if clarity had flown down and smacked the sense into him. Everything…suddenly made perfect sense to him now.

"You are _nothing_," stated Sephiroth as he pulled his left arm back as if he were about to strike something. Glaring at his image, he snarled, "I don't need you," and then he launched his fist. The mirror cracked the instant his fist made impact upon the surface of the glass. His image was distorted now, but that wasn't enough for him. Again and again he punched the mirror and ignored the blood flowing freely from the cuts on his knuckles. He ignored the minor pain and continued to pound away at the mirror until he couldn't see himself anymore.

* * *

><p>Cloud squinted his eyes slightly as he watched the rising sun. He had just finished all of his chores, including gathering his supplies together and preparing Fenrir for departure.<p>

Stifling a yawn, he trudged back inside of his house to make a light breakfast when he heard the distinct sound of glass breaking. Instantly alarmed, he ran in the direction of the noise, which was the bathroom. The blond tried to open the door, but to his dismay, it was locked. Banging on the door, he called out, "Seph? Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt? Open the door, _**now**_!"

The door opened a second later to reveal a very calm looking ex-General. He regarded Cloud with a cool gaze as if the other man had interrupted something personal. In a voice that was seeping full of tranquility, he replied, "I am fine, Cloud."

Cloud maneuvered his body so that he could peer into the bathroom, which was hard since Sephiroth blocked nearly everything. He settled for gently nudging the taller man aside so that he could get a better view. He spotted countless fragments of mirror littered all over the bathroom counter and the floor. The mirror was smashed beyond repair to the point that not one area of the mirror was undamaged. The blond raised an eyebrow as he wondered what had occurred to make the ex-General angry enough to break something. He also wondered, of all things, why Sephiroth had broken a _mirror_. "What…happened _here_?"

Sephiroth glanced at his handiwork and then looked back to Cloud as if nothing was out of the norm. "I punched it a few times."

"Why?" Asked Cloud with a slight frown.

"Do not worry; I won."

"…I don't understand."

The silver-haired man sighed, "Let's just say…someone was trying to break me."

Cloud was still confused and it showed as plain as day on his tired face. "Break you? _Who_ was trying to break you?"

Sephiroth nodded curtly. "Her. The one you and your comrades mention every so often. I think she was attempting to manipulate me."

The blond's face was grim as he felt dread well up inside of him. One of his worst fears was Sephiroth succumbing to _her_ again. He didn't know if he could bear losing him to Jenova again. As strong as he had proven himself time and time again, Cloud wasn't so sure how much strength he had left in him.

"Come with me," started Sephiroth as he then walked away with brisk, purposeful strides. He led Cloud outside to his 'hill'; the very hill that he had often found himself standing on and staring in _that_ specific direction. He pointed in said direction and looked at Cloud to confirm that he was looking. "I know that you and Valentine are concerned about my obsessive behavior staring off in that direction. I didn't know why I felt compelled to stare nor did I know why I felt so drawn to it. I think I know why now. I believe she's somewhere in that direction. I don't know where, but I can feel her. At first, I didn't know or understand what was beckoning me, but I believe it is her. She has been trying to call to me, but it has been failing."

"Failing?" Cloud repeated as he felt hope starting to blossom in his chest even though his body felt somewhat numb from the mere mention of her.

The ex-General smiled warmly at his fair-haired lover. "I think it is because of you. You have a stronger pull on me than she does, Cloud. All she sounds like to me is an annoying, insignificant buzzing noise."

Cloud believed him. He would have been lying if he had said that he had not feared Sephiroth submitting to madness like he had in the past. The blond man had finally climbed and surpassed the wall that had separated him from his own friends. It was the same wall built by years of hate, grief, isolation, neglect, despair, and depression. The very wall he had to climb up in order to not only forgive Sephiroth but to stop hating him as well. That in itself had been one of his biggest challenges and then when it was over, he had still found himself suffering from doubt. Doubt that Sephiroth would not remain sane as he seemed to be. He had feared that the ex-General would lose himself to insanity, but now, all of the doubt and the fear seemed to ebb away into nothingness as he gazed at the man he loved.

"Cloud, I think I am ready to cross swords with you," declared Sephiroth with a confident half-smirk.

The ex-Mercenary contemplated that for a few moments as he stared at the taller man. He looked as if he had some reservations about clashing swords with the other man.

"I am ready, Cloud," said Sephiroth before he cast his eyes to the ground. In a voice barely above a whisper, he confessed, "I had a nightmare about the clones, Cloud. I could not stop them and I could not move. I was disgusted by them, but worse of all, I was _afraid_." Then Sephiroth lifted his gaze from the ground to stare at Cloud as determination shone brightly in his green eyes. He spoke with unshakeable will that mirrored the fortitude in his face. "I do not want to be shackled by fear, Cloud. I want to overcome it and I want to stop _them_. How can I defend myself—or you, if I don't learn how? There isn't much time, Cloud."

The blond nodded solemnly, knowing full well that his silver-haired lover was right. "If you feel up to it, then I will train you. You are right, we don't have much time. Go fetch your sword and meet me outside in five."

* * *

><p>The clanging of blades could be heard for miles around as Sephiroth blocked the majority of blows that the blond mercilessly lashed out. The ex-General had taken the defensive role since Cloud had advised that it was better to first learn how to defend himself before learning how to attack someone else.<p>

They had been sparring for hours now, if the sweat slicking both of their bodies was any indication of that. The ex-General had quickly learned all the sword forms as if he had always known it. His body had remembered it automatically after Cloud had demonstrated each technique. The only thing that took him a little longer to learn was a few techniques that he had not known in his past life.

"Very good, Seph," praised Cloud as he ground First Tsurugi against Sephiroth's slender, yet strong blade. "Now…try to strike me down!"

All reservations were gone from Sephiroth's mind as he flung himself from Cloud and landed catlike on the ground with his sword firmly held in his left hand. Now that he had tasted what real battle could be like, he wanted more. His blood was alive and singing an old song to a dance that had been around longer than Man.

Lunging up high into the air, the ex-General seemed to fly for a few moments before he came crashing down with his silver hair and black jacket billowing wildly around him.

For a few seconds, Cloud was dumbstruck by the divine beauty of the other man flying down in the air. Sephiroth resembled a gorgeous angel on the warpath as he raised his sword above his head with both hands to bring it down upon the blond.

Fortunately, Cloud recovered in barely enough time to intercept the attack from above. He didn't even realize Sephiroth's sword had cut him until he felt a trickle of blood dribble down from his cheek to his neck.

Landing gracefully on his booted feet, Sephiroth gingerly sheathed his sword behind him as he stood before the blond warrior. He breathed heavily as he stared down at the slighter male, his slit-like pupils fully dilated from the excitement of battle. It quickly turned into arousal as he noticed the shallow cut on Cloud's face. Moving his hand to the blond's face, he wiped away the blood as if it marred his beauty. Then he leaned over and kissed the cut as if in apology.

Panting as well, Cloud felt arousal flood him as he looked up at the silver-haired angel. Grabbing Sephiroth by the face, he pulled him down for a fervent kiss that was far from gentle. Teeth scraped together as two pairs of hands hastily groped and squeezed whatever could be reached.

"Cloud," grunted Sephiroth with all the urgency that he could muster in just his name alone.

"You're _mine_," growled the blond in a low, husky voice that promised more than a mere claiming. As if to prove his claim, he kissed Sephiroth almost brutally, their tongues swirling together in a mimic of what their swords had done mere minutes ago.

There would be no foreplay and there would be nothing gentle about this coupling. It would be hard, passionate, but _oh so good_. They would both come to spiral out of control until there was nothing left to do but crash and burn.

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><p>-SEX SCENE EDITED-<p>

A/N: I'm sorry, but because FF NET restricts graphic sex of any kind, I will no longer post sex scenes on FF NET. I will edit them out, BUT the unedited versions will be on _other _fiction websites.

**IF YOU ARE A MINOR OR TAKE OFFENSE TO MALEXMALE SEX, PLEASE DO NOT READ.**

If you are of age and mature, then proceed to my FF NET PROFILE. Because posting links is impossible in actual chapters, you will have to go to my profile for the actual link(s) or to my Deviantart page. Sorry, but this is how it has to be.

For those of you that cannot access AFF NET, do not worry. In the next couple of days, I will post a few other links to fiction websites with the uncensored chapter. Until then, sit tight.

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><p>"Cloud, we need to go back to Schönnbach," rasped Sephiroth with an urgency that was unmistakable in his raw voice. He had just woken up from a very light nap on the grass outside Cloud's house.<p>

Rolling onto his side, he propped himself up with one arm and stared at his spent, messy-haired lover. "Why? What's the rush?"

"Hana, that's why. We have to get her and bring her somewhere safe," started the ex-General as he turned his head to gaze at the blond man. "There's something very wrong in the sunny little town of Schönnbach, Cloud. I don't know what it is, yet, but something about it bothers me. She is not safe there."

Cloud slowly rose up until he was sitting up. Openly looking down at his lover with fondness, he reached over and brushed some stray silver hairs out of the man's angelic face. "I have the same feeling, too. In some ways…" Cloud then trailed off as he looked away. He suddenly looked melancholic as he quietly admitted, "In some ways, Schönnbach reminds me of Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim?"

The blond nodded. "It was my home town. It seemed like a nice enough place, but it was far from nice. I was…well, when I was a kid, there were some kids that liked to bully me. That's why I wanted to become a Soldier. I wanted to be like you and stop people from hurting others. I wanted to become strong and protect everyone I cared about."

"Be like me, huh?"

"Yeah. You were the poster child for Shinra's S.O.L.D.I.E.R. program. I looked up to you and thought you were a hero. I wanted to be just like you. I wanted to change the world."

Sephiroth looked away from Cloud and gazed up at the sky, the sky that reminded him so much of Cloud's eyes. "I may not remember everything, yet, but I know you were always a better man than I."

Standing up, Cloud extended his hand in offering. "Don't sell yourself short, Seph. You may not believe it, but I know you're a good man. When Zack was alive, he once told me that you had once been a good man. At the time, I wasn't willing to believe such a thing, but I know it to be true now."

"Zack…" Trailed off Sephiroth as he clasped Cloud's hand and allowed him to hoist him up to his feet. There was a faint smile on his slightly swollen lips. "Hyperactive puppy."

"You…remember him?" Asked a surprised Cloud.

Sephiroth bit his bottom lip and shrugged. "Bits and pieces, Cloud. I remember he had a lot of energy and everyone liked him the instant they met him. Not even I was immune to his charm."

"I see," said Cloud with a wistful smile. "Go take a shower, Seph. We're leaving in twenty minutes."

The ex-General nodded and turned away to head towards the house. There was a noticeable limp in his step, but he didn't care. His body ached, but it was the good kind of ache that reminded him very vividly of what they had recently done less than an hour ago.

Looking up at the sky, Cloud imagined his best friend's beautiful, smiling face looking down at him. Shaking his head, the blond couldn't help smiling. "I bet you have a big goofy smile on your face, Zack…since not even an amnesiac like Sephiroth can forget someone like you."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry about the lack of fighting action. I promise there will be some in the next chapter. At least you got some lemony goodness, ne? Also, AESTHETICS is half-done and should be updated within the next few days. Thanks for reading, and for all the reviews! You guys are wonderful at motivating me to write. ;)


	20. CH19: Confrontation PART I

Let Him In

Chapter warning(s): Offensive/Bad Language, Humor, Dark themes, Some violence, Mentions of Blood/Death/Gore, Angst, Some M/M Yaoi

A/N: One of my reviewers pointed out that I sometimes neglect to describe the surroundings. I will make an effort to try and be a bit more descriptive when it comes to that. I think due to time and other considerations, I accidentally forgot to describe certain things. xD Sorry, I guess I was more distracted by describing all the emotions and feelings going on. My bad, guys!

Also, for those of you that do enjoy the Vincent/Sephiroth pairing, you should go check out Roaming Firefly and Hakucho-E. They're both very talented writers and I enjoy their fictions. They both inspired me to not only write FF7, but to write the Vin/Seph pairing.

* * *

><p>"<em>A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, <em>_**'darkness'**__ on the walls of his cell_."-C.S. Lewis

* * *

><p>CH19: Confrontation PART I <p>

Cloud had barely stopped Fenrir when Sephiroth had leaped off of it from behind the slighter male. He sailed over the blond's head like a bird with his leather jacket billowing behind him like wings until he landed firmly on the grass with cat-like precision on his booted feet. He didn't even bother to spare Cloud a parting glance as he took off running.

Sighing, Cloud shook his head with a wry grin on his lips. Shutting Fenrir off completely, he then hopped off and hastily followed after the over-eager ex-General.

As he chased after his lover, Cloud briefly thought to himself on how he had from the very start had always been chasing after this man. Whether he had chased him as a dream, as an enemy, or as a love interest, the result had always been the same. He was inconceivably obsessed and probably would always be obsessed with Sephiroth no matter what.

The blond also reflected on how much Sephiroth had changed in just several hours earlier. No, maybe changed wasn't the right term. Awakened was more like it. In some ways, Sephiroth was like a butterfly. He had been reborn, had been forced out of his cocoon by Cloud and had undergone his metamorphosis from child to man until he has become the very man he was now. In spite of that, it was obvious that Sephiroth still had a long road to travel, but at least he was on the right path now.

It seemed that the former General of Shinra was even stronger and more determined than he had ever been. It struck Cloud with awe to witness this firsthand since it was more than he could have hoped for. Sephiroth was undoubtedly stronger now than he had ever been in his previous life. In a way, Cloud both marveled at and envied Sephiroth for his resolute physical and mental strength. If he had been in the ex-madman's place, he wasn't sure whether or not he would have turned out that way, as well.

Within a span of a few minutes, Cloud found Sephiroth near a fountain holding a protesting and struggling Hana in his arms. He was holding the girl close to his body very much like a loving, worried parent would. The sight of it made Cloud stop and stare with more wonder as warmth spread throughout his being. His fondness for Seph only seemed to flourish more and more with each passing day. Every little and big thing seemed to merge together much like his feelings until all he could feel was a throbbing, budding pressure. A pressure in the core of his being that made him feel strong yet weak at the same time.

"Seph! Put me down, already! What's gotten into you, anyway? What's wrong with you, ya big lug!" Cried a curiously blushing Hana as she continued to squirm. It was obvious that the redhead wasn't accustomed to any form of affection.

"Are you all right? Did anyone hurt you?" Quickly interrogated Sephiroth as he stared down at the young girl. The concern and worry was etched deeply into his handsome features.

Hana rolled her eyes as she huffed, "I'm okay, Seph, I'm okay. Can you put me down now?"

"Of course," murmured the ex-General as he reluctantly set the tomboy back down on her feet. He stared down at her and frowned while immense guilt and regret swelled in his chest. Shaking his head, he apologized, "I'm sorry we didn't take you with us when we left. We should have brought you home with us."

"It's okay, Seph. I'm not your problem, so don't worry about me," muttered the redhead right before she noticed Cloud standing there, watching them with some sappy gaze on his face. She sighed and threw her arms in the air. "Oh, not you, too, blondie! What's with you pretty boys today? Did you guys get whacked on the head today or somethin'?"

Cloud shrugged. "I'm fine. We're just concerned about your safety, Hana."

The robotic cat sprang out from nowhere to land nimbly on the blond's shoulder. "Don't worry, Cloud. I've been keeping an eye on the girl."

Sephiroth's eyebrow twitched at the mere sight of the annoying robot. Oh, how he _loathed_ Cait Sith.

Hana's shocked face changed swiftly from surprise to disbelief as she exclaimed, "_What?_ That weird cat thing has been stalking me? Ugh, I thought I felt something weird following me around, but I wasn't sure…"

"Hey! I have a name, miss thing! My name is Cait Sith! You would do well to remember that!" Corrected the robot cat as he nodded his little head curtly as if it were a plain fact that she should have realized on her own. He was quick to add with a point of his paw, "And I'm no thing. I'm very much alive…well sort of."

"Thank you, Cait. I appreciate you keeping an eye on her, but what happened to keeping an eye on Sephiroth?" Asked Cloud with an arch of his blond eyebrow.

"Reeve and I saw more than enough of what we needed to see, Cloud," answered the robotic cat as it enthusiastically nodded his head. "I also knew you were going to come back to investigate Schönnbach."

Sephiroth looked at Cloud with a questioning look.

The blond then quickly explained, "Seph, apparently Cait Sith has the ability to foresee some things. He claims that he can see into the future."

It was Cait Sith's turn to huff, "I only claim the truth! I _can_ see into the future, Cloud! You have witnessed it for yourself."

The silver-haired man remained unimpressed as he glanced to the cat, to the blond-haired man, and then finally back to the red-headed girl. He was amused to see that the fiery-haired tomboy's face mirrored what he felt inside.

"I'm not sure I like your cat friend, Cloud," drawled Hana as she gazed skeptically at the little cat. She actually didn't care for cats and found them rather annoying, tedious, and filthy creatures. To be quite frank, the girl was more of a dog person. Sure, she knew that dogs were smelly and all, but they were loyal, loving, and fun to play with.

Before Cait Sith could protest or Cloud reply to the girl, the seraph-like man glanced around warily at their surroundings. He had the distinct impression that they were being watched by someone or something. The silver-haired man was unsettled to the point that his left hand twitched with the urge to draw his blade.

The ex-Mercenary was quick to pick up on the ex-General's unease. "Seph, what's wrong?"

Sephiroth turned and stared at the old fountain where he had found Hana. Said fountain, carved with two statues in the center, was obviously very old and weathered. It was clear from all of the discoloration and the assortment of cracks that this fountain was at least a few hundred years old. In the middle of the bubbling and spraying fountain was a statue of an angel with its wings extended as it appeared crouched down on the ground with its arms protecting a small child. It wasn't clear whether it was male or female since it appeared androgynous and had long flowing hair and robes. However, the angel's lovely face was cast over its shoulder as it gazed up in sorrow at whatever was about to attack it and the child. A steady stream of water leaked from the angel's forlorn eyes to drip down into the small pool of water that its body emerged out of.

What bothered Sephiroth the most about the statue was that the child's head was missing. Someone had recently sliced off the statue's head in a clean cut. The head of the child was nowhere to be seen.

Many things, none being happy things, came to mind while the ex-General gazed at the statues. Several faces from a past he had forgotten drifted through his mind like specters that had come to haunt him. Faces he had once known, faces he could not remember, and faces he found evocatively familiar, all swirled together in a haze of feeling that left him feeling stark naked.

There was something dreadfully wrong with this happy little sunshine of a place. He could feel it in his bones as he glanced around at all the old buildings that looked as ancient as the fountain. This place was old and had been here for a long time, but it was far from perfect. It looked perfect, seemed perfect, and had plenty of perfect people walking around it, but the ex-General knew that it was far from perfect.

Perfection was an illusion, after all. It was nothing but a contradiction and therefore, perfection could not exist.

"He's acting weird, Cloud," whispered the red-haired girl.

"_Seph_…"

The silver-haired man looked over his shoulder at his lover, his child friend, and that annoying cat thing. He gestured with his gloved hand to the town that surrounded them as he simply offered, "There's something wrong with this place."

Hana then exclaimed, "I've been saying that for years now! No one has believed me until now…"

"Hana, who is in charge of this town? Whoever he or she is, I wish to see them," stated Sephiroth as he gazed down at the tomboy. He wanted to get to the bottom of things by confronting the head honcho of the town. Perhaps by doing that he could find out why things seemed so weird and out of place here. And maybe then he could figure out why he had such a gnawing, bone-chilling feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

* * *

><p>"Hey, slow down, Seph! We'll get there, don't worry!" Yelled Hana as she ran just to keep up with the ex-General's long and swift strides.<p>

Sephiroth didn't seem to hear the girl as he strode past gaping people in the bustling little marketplace. He ignored all the fake smiles and curious stares as he swept past them, hair and coat billowing behind him as he walked briskly with purpose. He barely noticed the townspeople and their wares set outside for all to see. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he would have probably stopped to inspect some of the shiny trinkets and maybe picked up a piece of fruit for closer inspection.

Boots clapped loudly against the old cobble road as Sephiroth marched with his friends in tow. The ex-General didn't stop his advance until he had reached the center of the town. In the center, there was a prolific grey building that looked well-maintained and if prompted, could fit several large families inside. It was surrounded by a large metal fence-like wall that looked to be at least fifteen feet high. In front of the secured gate that connected to the fence were two burly guards armed with automatic weapons. It was obvious from the appearance of the place and the security measures that someone important and quite wealthy lived here.

"That's where _he_ lives," grumbled Hana as she glared resentfully at the stone-grey mansion. Everything about that place felt cold and unwelcoming and the sooner they got this over with, the better off she felt that they would be.

Glancing around at the place, Cloud frowned as he realized that something about the building reminded him of Shinra mansion. It wasn't the resemblance to it at all; but the haunted, chilly feel of the place. It felt like _Death_.

Staring down at the red-head, Sephiroth quietly said, "If you don't want to come with us, that is fine by me. Cait Sith can stay out here with you."

Hana blushed so deeply that her face seemed to match the color of her hair. Shaking her head furiously, she objected, "No, I'm coming with you. I'm not scared of that _bastard_."

Nodding at the girl, the ex-General strode over to the armed guards. Gazing at them with unrelenting fortitude, he calmly stated, "We are here to see the Mayor."

The taller of the guards looked Sephiroth up and down before leaning over to the side to look past the 6'1" man to get a good look at the company that the silver-haired man had with him. Raising a dark bushy eyebrow, the olive-skinned guard shook his head. Even though he was a bit on the brawny side, he wasn't entirely stupid. He didn't fail to notice that two of the young men facing him were armed and looked like warriors. Clearing his throat, the guard announced, "Mayor Wiesel isn't seeing any…_ahem_, guests today. I'm sorry, but you will have to schedule an appointment with him next week. Good luck, though, kid. He's booked up for _months_."

"He will have to make an exception," drawled Sephiroth as he narrowed his intense eyes at both of the guards. In a voice that declared his intent, he ordered, "Stand aside and let us through, I insist. If you don't…_well_."

The guard bristled at that. "I don't know who you people are, but you're not getting past us."

Cloud sighed, "Looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way…"

Lunging forward faster than the blink of an eye, Sephiroth punched the alarmed olive-skinned guard in the stomach. Knocking the wind out of him, he watched as the man fell to his knees with his arms clutching at his injured midsection. He gasped in shock at the pain until he vomited the contents of his stomach onto the ground at his own feet.

The other, slightly smaller guard shouted in alarm and aimed his gun at the ex-General only to have it knocked out of his hands by the blond-haired man. Cloud socked him hard in the jaw, which resounded with a loud crack as the man staggered backwards and hit the gate with a loud thud and rattle. The blond approached him as he raised his fist again to deal another blow, but lowered his arm once the guard had ran past him with every intention of escape. Sighing, Cloud shook his head and turned towards the sound of retching.

"_Pathetic_," hissed Sephiroth after he had dealt another blow to knock the other guard out. He was slightly disappointed by the fact that the guards had been way too easy to defeat. Something in him wanted a real battle, a real _challenge_.

"Shall we then?" Said Cloud as he smiled at his silver-haired lover and indicated with his hand towards the now unguarded gate.

The ex-General bowed his head slightly and gestured to the entrance. "After you, Cloud."

"Such a gentleman," commented the blond with a little smirk on his lips as he approached the gate. He noted the lock and sighed as if this were nothing but a tedious problem. Rolling his shoulders as if preparing himself for something dull, he then launched his leg towards the lock with a precise kick. The gate shook violently with the force of the blond's strong kick as the lock shattered and with a loud groan, the gate swung open to admit them entrance.

"When was the last time I told you that I loved you, Cloud?" Inquired Sephiroth with a gaze that seemed to burn right through his blond-haired lover.

The blond leaned in close and grabbed some of Sephiroth's hair, winding his fingers around it before using it to pull his head down so that he could kiss him briefly on the lips. In a low whisper, he answered, "You told me a few hours ago with your **body**."

Cait Sith gagged from his spot perched on Hana's shoulder. "Give it a rest already, you two! Gaia, you're both worse than horny lovesick teenagers!"

* * *

><p>"I don't like the feel of this place," whispered Cait Sith as he glanced around nervously from his chosen spot on the redhead's shoulder.<p>

The entrance of the darkened mansion led them past the doorway and into a seemingly endless dark corridor that led them to two different doors. To the far left there was a small door that possibly led to a kitchen, a bathroom, or something else. The other door was a double door and appeared grander in appearance. It was most likely a parlor, living room, or sitting room.

Cautiously opening the double doors, Cloud was the first to slip inside past the door and into the dark room. It took a few moments for his glowing blue eyes to register to the thick darkness that suffocated the large chamber. Every shutter was shut closed, sealing off any light that could filter through.

Sephiroth entered next and stopped next to the blond. His eyes adjusted almost immediately to the dark as they glowed a vibrant, fluorescent green.

Everything in the rather expansive, fancy room was _white_. This included the walls, the furniture, and the carpet. Either the interior decorator didn't have any real sense, or the mayor simply liked things pristine, boring, and colorless.

Something was very wrong with the room. Wrong in the way that blood was splattered all over the walls and stained the carpets. Several of the dreary paintings were slashed beyond recognition as they haphazardly hung on the walls in an attempt to remain where they belonged. Everything, including the white posh furniture was in disarray as if a violent struggle had occurred in the room. Upon closer inspection, the distinct impression of blade marks was visible in the chairs, tables, couches, and the walls.

The expensive aristocratic white carpet, which looked to be of high quality, was ruined beyond repair by all the blood that soaked in the once unspoiled fibers. Various ominous streaks of blood led from the sitting room all the way to another closed door that led to another room. It was clear that the trails of blood had been bleeding bodies that had been dragged carelessly by callous hands.

Standing stock still, Sephiroth slowly gazed around the messy room in shocked, repulsed awe. The thick, cloying coppery scent of blood hung in the air so strongly that it stung his sharp nose. Studying the room more closely, he concluded upon closer inspection that there had undoubtedly been more than one assailant. He also realized that the scent of the blood smelled at least a day or more old. Despite the fact that the scent of death was fairly old, it clung tenaciously to anything and everything within reach.

Since Hana was an unenhanced human, she couldn't see through the darkness. However, in lieu of her blindness, she could still catch a whiff of the unmistakable scent of blood. It made her insides clench painfully as it triggered a memory within her that she desperately didn't want to relive again.

A sharp look from Cloud warned Cait Sith to keep his mouth shut for the time being. It was obvious that he didn't want the girl to be needlessly alarmed. He inwardly kicked himself as he realized he should have left Hana and Cait Sith safely behind without being in harm's reach. After all, he knew that there was also the possibility that the murderers could still be in the eerily quiet mansion.

Sephiroth's enhanced eyes followed the trail of blood until it ended abruptly at the door, which caused him to wonder what was behind said door. Whatever and whoever was behind that door, he just _had_ to know. The ex-General looked down at Cloud with a questioning stare and when he had snagged his gaze, he received a curt nod from the blond in reply to his silently asked question. Heading towards the door, he winced slightly from the squish that had ensued from walking in the blood soaked carpet. Hand hovering just over the doorknob, he hesitated for only a moment before he lowered it and gripped the knob firmly. Turning it delicately, it was clear by the lack of resistance that the door wasn't locked. Pushing the door open slowly, he gingerly stepped into the room with his senses on high alert.

The first thing to register in his brain was the fetid stench of decaying bodies that hit him hard enough to make him gag from said odor. The smell was so intense and foul that he nearly vomited on the spot. In his mind's eye, the ex-General saw images of countless slain bodies withering away in a conquered battlefield devoid of human life. The only thing living were the scavenger animals that picked away at the deceased while the bodies rotted in the hot and humid sun.

Pushing those disturbing images aside, Sephiroth steeled himself as he entered further into the dark room. He was greeted by the sight of what once appeared to be a cream white study. Torn books were strewn carelessly everywhere and even one of the six bookcases had been pushed over. The only thing in the bloodbath of a room that remained intact was a large undamaged mahogany desk, that oddly enough, was absent of any filth.

If the carpet had once been white, like the rest of the house, it was hard to tell since it was stained a deep burgundy that matched all the splatters on the walls and bookshelves.

Narrowing his glowing eyes in the darkness, Sephiroth tried to discern why the unmistakable scent of death was so overpowering in the room. There were no traces of the dead in the study even though the putrid smell of death strongly suggested otherwise. The dead weren't anywhere to be seen—

And then something cold and wet _dripped_ onto the ex-General's head. Quickly glancing up in reaction to the unexpected feeling, he finally received his answer. Up above him, dozens of naked bodies, some men, some women, and even some children, were pinned cruelly to the ceiling in a horrific, gruesome display of perversion. Several swords, knives, and other sharp implements were embedded deeply and securely in the flesh of the dead, which was most likely how the dead weight of the bodies seemed to defy gravity.

_Dead bodies floating in darkness…_

Sephiroth didn't know what to feel at first as he gawked up in abject horror. His face, his very body, felt numb as he watched drops of coagulated blood fall only to merge into the stained carpet. He didn't feel anything until he felt an angry, horrified presence suddenly next to him and without looking, he already knew that it was Cloud.

The blond didn't remain there long; in a flash, he was gone. The faint murmur of the blond's voice could be heard, but Sephiroth could not quite make out the words said. Shortly after the exchange of inaudible words, there was the sound of retreating footsteps.

The ex-Mercenary then reentered the study to stand right beside the catatonic-looking ex-General. He was beyond angry at this point; it was very difficult to contain himself as he shook from unbridled rage. With the will power that he sometimes doubted in himself, the spiky-haired man ripped his bright, glowing blue eyes away from the sickening scene of the defiled dead.

"What do you think of _their_ artwork, gentlemen? Beautiful…isn't it. Utterly marvelous…and sinfully divine. To die for, I'm sure," purred a male voice so faintly that even with their enhanced ears, Cloud and Sephiroth barely caught it.

A thin, almost skeletal man rose from his position under the desk. Standing in plain view behind the desk was a frail-looking man dressed in a blood-splattered three-piece white suit that had once been fine and dignified. His shoulder-length gray hair was in disarray as he smiled at them widely with a crazed look gleaming in his darkened brown eyes. Several strands of messy, discolored hair covered his pallid, dead-looking face. There was something about his voice and movement that seemed strangely haunted and lifeless as if he were merely a _puppet_ made from a corpse.

"Are you Wiesel?" Sephiroth questioned the sickly man in a cold, hard tone of voice as he stared unblinkingly at said man. His smooth, seemingly flawless face was devoid of any and all emotion except for the faint flickering of anger that registered in his luminous Mako-infused eyes.

"I am what I am and you are what you are. And oh, _what_ you are! Have you come to play, or have you come to stay? I hope it's the latter because you look like such _fun_!" Cried the skinny man as he leaped onto the desk and outstretched his arms to the ceiling. "I aim only to serve, and serve, I do! They say I am dead, **_DEAD_**! I do not feel dead; on the contrary, I feel alive! I am alive, alive with _Her_ love and _Her_ joy! Without _Her_…I'd be dead. And yet…_She_ isn't here. So does that make me dead…or alive? That's quite the conundrum, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>End of PART I<p> 


End file.
